


The Wake Up Call

by HevKomLezkru



Category: The 100
Genre: Bisexual, Clarke is a top, Clexa, Endgame Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian, Lexa is Madi’s mom, Lexa is a switch, Modern AU, Nurse - Freeform, Slow Burn, Stupid Finn Collins, The Commander - Freeform, Workplace Romance, coffee dates, ex-wife costia, hospital romance, rn, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:15:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27003361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HevKomLezkru/pseuds/HevKomLezkru
Summary: When charge nurse Lexa gets a literal wake up call from nurse administrator Clarke, it sets in motion a string of events that lead to a love story.  However, old flames and workplace policies threaten our love bird’s fledgling relationship.  Will their love survive this Code Blue?
Relationships: Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Comments: 44
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

That Wednesday had absolutely kicked Lexa’s ass. Her shift at the hospital had ran longer than expected, and everyone and everything seemed to be pressing her last nerve. At one point, a physician had proceeded to tear her a new one about a patient that wasn’t even on her caseload. Then she had to deal with a combative patient coming out of anesthesia, who hit and kicked at her when she tried to help. She even had student nurses trying her patience, critiquing work flow and patient care like they were ready to tackle the world on their own. She had also missed 2 IV’s when helping to prep some inpatients for surgery. Surprisingly, the thing that got under her skin the most was missing those IV’s. That was her thing; she was the person other nurses (and doctors) came to for help. It even earned her the nickname of the “Vein Commander.” All in all, this day needed to end. 

When she finally made it home that evening, she was actually relieved it was her ex-wife’s night with their daughter. She knew Madi was safe at Costia’s house probably getting spoiled with an excellent home cooked meal (one of the few things she actually missed about her ex). Lexa went to her own kitchen and made herself the sloppiest peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich and promptly scarfed it down. Just because her 8 year old daughter wasn’t there, didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy their shared favorite meal!

She sat cross legged on her sofa, scratching the belly of a clingy gray tabby cat named George, and mindlessly scrolling through her phone watching mildly entertaining videos. She needed that time to decompress and just vegetate after the stress of her day. She seemingly got sucked into a never ending stream of make-up tutorials and thirst traps, when she finally noticed the time; 10:30 PM. In her 20’s Lexa could pull all-nighters and still be good for work in the morning, but now at 32 she seemed to hit her “wall” right about that time. It made her feel old. The constant stress of working in the busiest post anesthesia care unit (PACU) in the county made her feel old. The adjustment to mostly-single parenting after her divorce 18 months ago had also made her feel old.

Lexa dragged herself to the bathroom, and unbraided her long wavy brown hair. She turned on the hot water to the shower, letting it sufficiently warm up, while she brushed her teeth. The tiniest laugh escaped her lips as she noticed a smudge of jam in the corner of her mouth. The color of the jam almost blended in perfectly to the rich natural rose color of her lips. That little smudge of jam spoke to her younger self and she felt a little lighter. She hopped in the shower and allowed the warm water to flow over her tanned skin and toned physique. Her years of studying martial arts and her (however brief) stint in the military had built a body that was both beautiful and strong. She could feel her muscles slowly give way to the heat one fibrous band at at time, until her body felt sufficiently relaxed. 

The steam from the shower had fogged up the mirror and hung thick in the bathroom. She was so sleepy and absolutely yearning for her bed at that point. She dried off her body, and scrunched her wavy locks with a towel until they were just damp instead of saturated. She wiped across the mirror with her hand, condensation running down her arm, and she stared into emerald green eyes. Her reflection was both tired and intense; she was ready to put this day behind her. She didn’t bother with night clothes, thinking them burdensome and too hot, so she shooed an annoyed George off her bed and climbed into the bed sheets that were both soft and cool to the touch. She plugged in her phone, set an alarm, and made sure her ringer was loud enough to wake her since she was still technically on-call. As soon as her head hit the pillow sleep washed over her.

“Quack, quack, quack!” Lexa startled awake to quite possibly the most annoying sound she could imagine. “Quack, quack, quack!” Ugh. Madi had changed her ringer again! It apparently was becoming some what of a joke to her daughter to sneakily change the ringer on her phone occasionally. Since her general phone use mostly consisted of texting and useless musings online, it was rare she actually heard her phone ring. “Quack, quack, quack!” She fumbled for her phone in the dark, accidentally knocking it off her nightstand to the floor with a thump. “Fuck.” Lexa slithered out of bed, grabbed her phone and answered before she’d have to endure the last ring. “Lexa Woods.” she said in a raspy monotone voice that clearly indicated she was sleeping just seconds ago. 

The voice on the other end of the phone was sweet, feminine, and just a little too perky for...Lexa didn’t even know what time it was. “Hi Lexa, this is Clarke Griffin the night shift Operations Administrator on call at the hospital. I’m really sorry to wake you, but I have a doc that needs to do an emergent add on case. You’re going to have to come in.” Lexa took note of the time now; 4:15 AM. A solid hour an a half before her alarm was due to go off. “Shit.” The woman on the other end of the phone chuckled. Shit! Had she said that out loud? Lexa was wide awake now! The heat of embarrassment could be felt spreading across her cheeks even in the coolness of the dark. “I’m. So. Sorry. I’m not a morning person. That was supposed to be said in my head.” Clarke must have been more amused than offended, for she chuckled again and reassured Lexa that it was ok. Lexa sighed audibly and replied “Be there in 30 minutes.” There was no formal conclusion to the phone call; just the click of the line disconnecting. 

It was times like these that made Lexa really appreciate her nurse’s uniform. Sky blue scrubs that were comfortable and soft and always the same. She mindlessly dressed without even turning on the light. She made her way to the bathroom, nearly tripping over George who was criss-crossing her ankles begging for food. “Humans first George!” she snapped towards the cat, who obviously felt it should be the other way around. Lexa used the restroom, washed her hands, applied deodorant, and brushed her teeth. She combed through her brown tresses, and braided her hair on auto-pilot. Her next stop was the kitchen, where she grabbed a protein bar and tucked it into one of the 10 pockets she had in her scrubs. She filled George’s bowl with kibble and gave him scratches behind his ears and a smooth pet down the length of his back. She stood and made her way to the door, grabbing her keys from the small, lopsided, ceramic bowl Madi had made in her art class last year. She checked the time on her phone; 4:32. “Good” she thought out loud, “I’m going to make it on time.” 

Once in the car, Lexa simultaneously buckled her seatbelt and pulled the protein bar from her pocket. She used her teeth to open the wrapper, leaving her other hand free to back out of her driveway. The drive to the hospital was only eight minutes, which was just enough time to consume her half-assed attempt at breakfast, and apply the scant amount of beauty products she actually wore. The wrapper had said “sprinkled donut,“ but the flavor of the protein bar was overly saccharine and left a bad aftertaste in her mouth. At the stoplight, she opened the center console of her SUV, and grabbed a sheer matte lip stain just a shade darker than her strawberry jam colored lips and a tube of mascara. She had applied both with ease and expertise before the light even turned to green. As she badged into the employee parking garage, she checked the time displayed on the car radio; 4:40. She smiled and congratulated herself on arriving on time. She had this down to a science. 

Lexa clocked in and immediately set upon opening the unit and readying it for patient care. She turned on lights and monitors, checked that each patient bay had the necessary supplies, did the daily inspection of the crash cart, and then headed to the nurses station. She sat in the desk chair, devoid of any real back support, and logged on to the computer to access the patient charting program. As she reached for the computer mouse, she noticed a large takeaway coffee cup further down the desk. That was very odd as no one else had arrived yet. She launched herself to the side in the rolling desk chair, and glided over towards the cup with her hand extended. As her fingers closed around the recycled cardboard cup, she felt that it was still quite warm and obviously fresh. She turned the cup around and noticed some writing done in black sharpie on the other side. It read: 

For the “Morning Person.” 😉 -C.G. 

Lexa took a sip and smiled. It was strong, smooth, and sweet with caramel. How did Clarke know she preferred her coffee sweet? 

Thursday was turning out to be a much better day, even if it had started way earlier than expected. Lexa had finished her coffee and had grown full on its comforting warmth, just as her patient rolled into PACU. Even though the case was emergent and the surgery was intricate, the patient was stable and the recovery went smoothly. The rest of the morning seemed to fly by with Lexa preoccupied with patient care and other charge nurse duties. She was summoned to start several IV’s in the pre-op area and aced every single one with ease. She was feeling light and content in her work, and you could read the smile on her face like a book. In the early afternoon the caseload lulled and Lexa found herself with an incredibly rare unoccupied 5 minutes. An idea popped into her head and without really thinking it through she impulsively logged into her work email. She pulled up the staff directory, easily found Clarke’s name, and was soon typing out an email that read:

C,  
That was the perfect pick me up for this AM. Would love to return the favor before your next night shift. Let me know what time “your morning” is, and I’ll meet you at The Coalition coffee shop near the hospital.  
L.W.

She didn’t proofread, pause, or reflect on the words she wrote. She didn’t really even think about what she was asking. Lexa just genuinely wanted to repay the small act of kindness and put a face to the voice she heard over the phone so early that morning. So she typed the email quickly and without hesitation pressed send. The little whooshing sound that followed seemed to trigger a brief second of buyer’s remorse; she hoped Clarke wouldn’t think she was weird for asking her to coffee. But it was just coffee, and Clarke had started it, so she dismissed her momentary worry and went on with her day. 

By the time 3:45 PM rolled around, Lexa was beginning to run out of steam. Yet another day that was longer than her scheduled 6:30 AM - 3:00 PM shift, but overall her day was pleasant so complaints were at a minimum. She gave report on her patients to the nurse that appeared on the unit 15 minutes later than she was supposed to arrive, and then went about her routine prior to clocking out. She double checked any open patient charts, making notation of the time and to whom she reported off too, and went to check her email. There was a reminder from her manager to complete some continuing education courses online. Another email contained an ad for a scrub sale coming up next week at the hospital. Then there it was, 3rd email from top, the one she was actually looking for. Clarke Griffin had responded. Lexa was all too eager to click on the message from Clarke. She opened it and could almost hear the sweet, yet perky, voice from this morning as she read the words to herself in her head. 

Lexa,  
Just woke up. I could use a coffee. Would 4:00 PM today work?  
-Clarke  
(321) 555-5392

They’d apparently progressed beyond initials at this point to a first name basis. Lexa reached into one of her many pockets to retrieve her phone. She checked the time; 3:58. She sighed as she added “Clarke Griffin, OA” to her contact list, and sent her a quick text:

Hey, it’s Lexa. Just got your email. Can’t make it by 4. Sorry.

She half expected to not get a reply, and even if she did it would probably just be polite acknowledgement. Who knew, maybe Clarke would be a little annoyed about the lack of Lexa’s follow through on her own offer? But then that all too familiar tone rang out from her pocket; Clarke had replied in just under a minute:

4:15???

Lexa felt one side of her mouth curl up into a playful smirk. Her thumbs hurriedly typed out an equally quick response:

See you soon!!!

Should she have used so many exclamation points? Was that weird? Lexa was feeling a hint of excitement for some reason. Perhaps it was the chance at making a new friend? Whatever it was she’d find out soon enough, as she now only had 12 minutes to make it to the coffee shop. She grabbed her car keys from her locker and walked just a little faster than her normal gait all the way to the parking garage.

Lexa pulled into the parking lot of the The Coalition right on time. Being on time is something she really prided herself on. She thought it perhaps her best takeaway from her time in the reserves. She’d joined in order to use the GI bill for school, and even though her Sargent told her she would excel if she made the military a career, she opted for an honorable discharge as soon as it was possible. She exited her jet black SUV, and walked up to the coffee shop’s entrance. A thought struck her as she pulled back on the gimmicky mug-shaped handle of the shop’s door; she didn’t know who she was looking for. Or more specifically, she didn’t know what Clarke looked like. She pulled out her cell once again, tapped on the most recent text message, and typed:

I’m here. You here? I’m in scrubs. 

Lexa scanned the tables and the line of people behind the register. No one appeared to be pulling out their phone just then, or looking up to try to meet her gaze. A twinge of disappointment could be seen furrowed on her brow. Luckily, Clarke would never bear witness to it, as she walked up to Lexa from behind. She placed a light touch to her right shoulder, which caused Lexa to jump ever so slightly. She turned around to face a gorgeous blonde woman with eyes so blue and bright, that the sky and the ocean seemed dull in comparison. Clarke appeared a little younger than Lexa and she stood a little shorter. Her sun kissed blonde hair was shoulder length and naturally wavy. Her lips were perfectly pink and were curled up into a playful smile; the kind of smile where just the tip of her tongue was visible between her teeth. She was also wearing scrubs, but hers were a much more fitted and feminine cut, and they were a medium gray color with just a hint of sheen to the material. Lexa had always preferred to wear the standard hospital issued, gender neutral scrubs that were provided free of charge. However, she could appreciate a nice looking scrub set when she saw one, and of course the nice looking nurse who filled them out perfectly. 

Lexa felt a pull in her chest, and she realized she hadn’t yet taken a breath since she turned around to face Clarke. She inhaled slowly, as to not be obvious, and smiled back at the blonde in front of her. Lexa opened her mouth, sure she was going to make a witty introduction, but the words that tumbled out were “Hi, I’m Lexa. You want coffee?” Did she really just say that? Seriously? Lexa thought to herself “You idiot, she’s at a coffee shop, the one YOU invited her too, for coffee you’ve ALREADY offered to buy her!” She mentally face-palmed herself. Then she heard Clarke chuckle the same way she had on the phone that morning, after Lexa had inadvertently used profanity while speaking to one of the hospital administrators. Clarke’s reply seemed much more cool and collected, “Want coffee? I think it’s more of a NEED at this point.” Lexa let out a soft laugh of her own and nodded her head in the direction of the line to place an order. The two women fell into step together as they walked up and took their place in the line side by side. 

Lexa accidentally brushed elbows with Clarke while slipping her hands into her pockets as the pair waited for the barista to take their order. She found herself paying way too much attention to the velvety soft skin that just barely grazed across her own. She feigned an interest in the seasonal menu that was written with chalk paint in curly-cue hand lettering, just so she could make conversation and try to force her mind to focus on something else. Lexa gestured towards the sign, and joked “Can you believe they have SIX different pumpkin flavored coffees?!” Clarke must have missed the sarcasm, because she turned towards Lexa and excitedly exclaimed “Oh I know, I’ve tried them all! The Pumpkin Pie Frap with extra whip is my current favorite. Reminds me of Thanksgiving.” She licked her lips. She licked her fucking lips. Lexa’s eyes grew wider. She suddenly did not feel at all safe in her previous assumption that this was just coffee. It may have been for Clarke, but Lexa was feeling some undeniable attraction. Well, except for the unequivocally basic suburban thirty-something love of all things fall and pumpkin spiced, her initial thoughts of Clarke were pretty positive. She felt the light nudge of Clarke’s elbow into her side which broke her train of thought; the barista had been trying to get her attention. “Oh, uhm...one Caramel Macchiato and a Pumpkin Pie Frap. With extra whip.” She turned to shoot Clarke a crooked little smirk, while simultaneously thanking the barista. 

Lexa paid for their drinks while Clarke found a semi-secluded table in the corner next to the window. The coffee shop was busy, but not crowded, as many customers got their drinks to go. The sounds of blenders and steamed milk being frothed intermingled with the instrumental versions of contemporary hits that subtly spilled out of the coffee shop’s speakers. Both women contentedly sipped on their beverages, expectantly grateful for the caffeine fix that was on the way. The first minute or two at the table found them in a state of mutual quiet that was not exactly awkward, but more like suspenseful. 

Lexa broke the silence first, “So hey, thanks again for the coffee this morning, it was really a welcomed and unexpected treat. Very ‘hit the spotty.’” The apples of Clarke’s cheeks swelled as her face lit up, and she responded “Well from the sound of things on the phone this morning, I thought you might need some motivation.” There was a simultaneous chuckle from the table, which made it obvious that Clarke was indeed right. “It worked though! I mean, I sincerely think it set the precedent for the day. I was overdue for a good one,” Lexa replied. “Speaking of, how was your day?” Clarke looked over the lid of her coffee cup while she took a sip, and raised her eyebrows. “Umm, I just woke up like a little over an hour ago, so this has been the highlight of my day so far” she said. “Mine too” Lexa agreed softly without thinking. Damn, her head and mouth were just not working well together today. She felt her ears get hot and knew without even looking they were turning red. Desperate to keep attention off herself, she quickly asked about work. “So how long have you been an OA? You’ve got to be fairly new because you’ve never woken me up before” she said with a laugh she attempted to swallow. Another giggle passed Clarke’s lips, “So you’ve got a lot of people calling you at night then?” Lexa jokingly rolled her eyes, ignoring the flutter in her stomach, and remained quiet while waiting for Clarke’s real answer. “Kidding, kidding. My first night shift was 3 weeks ago. I did train on days right after I transferred for a while. But now my schedule is Wednesday through Friday, 7P to 7A.” Lexa perked up at that, “That’s actually a nice schedule; four day weekends all the time! The night shift kills it for me though, I actually like to sleep at night.” Clarke nodded in agreement and replied “I’m still trying to get used to it, I’ve never worked nights until now. I used to work in the ICU. You know we’ve actually met before a few times. You’re who we’d call when we had an impossible IV start. Don’t they have a nickname for you? Vein captain or the commander?” With that Lexa perked up. How could she forget meeting this woman? She answered with levity in her voice, “It’s Commander. Forgive me for not remembering you, I think you’d be pretty hard to forget. I guess sometimes my mind goes full auto-pilot when I’m in the zone.” Then it was Clarke’s turn to blush ever so slightly. She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “So what does ‘The Commander’ do outside of work? Hmm?” she teased. 

Lexa had to think about the question for a minute. She honestly had been such a homebody lately, which was actually out of character for her. After being with Costia for 10 years, the majority of their friends were other couples. It’s not that they no longer wanted to hang out with her, it just would get weird sometimes, so she tended to avoid it. However, she didn’t have a good excuse for her hiatus from jujitsu. She’d been studying various forms of martial arts since childhood, but jujitsu was where she found her niche. So Lexa led with a safe answer, one she hoped wouldn’t really require further explanation, “I just hang out with my kid and my cat. What about you?” Lexa watched as Clarke took a long gulp of her coffee. Clarke opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to change her mind, promptly closing her mouth. Lexa wondered what she was thinking. Seconds later, Clarke smiled shyly and said “I just finished my masters in Nursing Administration at the end of the summer, so I haven’t been up to much lately. My nose has been in a book for a while.” Lexa suspected there was something else that was going to be said, or asked, but shrugged it off. “So pre-bookworm status, what did you do for fun?” she inquired. Lexa noticed that Clarke’s eyes seemed even more blue when she laughed. Clarke bit her lip a little, and looked off to the side, as if carefully considering what she was going to share. “I really enjoy art. Before nursing school, I dreamed of making it a career, even studied it abroad in Europe for a semester during college. I haven’t had much time for it though.” Lexa’s face softened, and she was about to ask more about her art, when Clarke continued. “I also love being outside; hiking and camping.” 

Camping was something Lexa enjoyed as well, so she settled on telling a story about her favorite camping trip to the river. How she floated along, staring up at the mountains and the tops of cypress trees. It was then she had realized that she had the river completely to herself and how free she felt. It was a feeling she now chased every time she stepped into nature. The memory had inspired a tattoo that she showed off on her left forearm. Lexa laid her arm out on the table at Clarke’s request, so she could take a closer look at the ink work. Clarke ran a finger over the design and commented “these details are amazing, how long did it take?” However, Lexa didn’t respond because she was lost in the sensation of Clarke’s skin on her skin. Lexa willed herself to focus on what the blonde was saying. She made eye contact, and said “I’m sorry, what was that?” Clarke repeated herself and Lexa managed to tell her that it took 6 hours, and that she’d only been able to endure it because she happened to reallocate some lidocaine cream from work that day. However, Clarke was still touching her arm. Lexa wondered if it was purposeful with the intention of torturing her while simultaneously turning her into mush. In all likelihood, it was probably just forgotten there while the women continued on with their conversation. But to be honest, Lexa’s mind was starting to think of all the “what if’s.” 

Conversation was flowing easily between the blonde and the brunette; lots of funny quips and sharing stories. They were truly enjoying each other’s company. Clarke mentioned she had recently attended the Austin City Limits music festival. Lexa had attended a couple times when she was younger and it was definitely a fun experience. Since the topic of music was at hand, Lexa got an idea. She wanted to discretely inquire if Clarke was romantically interested in women, and the almighty interwebs had suggested asking the individual if they listened to a particular singer. So Lexa swallowed the lump in her throat, mentally crossed her fingers, and said “Hey Clarke, do you happen to listen to Girl in Red?” She could see the gears turning in Clarke’s mind, and awaited her response. Clarke took a few seconds, but replied “I have heard of them, but I can’t honestly say I’ve heard any of their music.” That was not exactly what Lexa was hoping for, but then again, she wasn’t sure what to expect anyway. A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she smiled at Clarke, only to notice the blonde’s face had a contemplative furrow to her brow. “Why do you ask?” Clarke inquired. Lexa was caught off guard, and stammered for a second, as she averted her gaze. In that moment she caught sight of the clock on the wall of the coffee shop; the time was 5:25 PM. A sinking feeling washed over her and she announced, “Crap! It’s almost 5:30, I’ve got to go, I’m gonna be late to pick up my daughter from her after school program.” Lexa felt terrible about cutting their conversation short and equally so about being late to pick up Madi. The ladies stood to say their goodbyes, and Lexa extended her arm for a handshake. Clarke accepted her arm, but then pulled her by the forearm into an unexpected, slightly awkward, yet equally wonderful hug. Lexa let it happen and lingered just a few seconds longer than she usually would. Once separated, they each simply said “bye” accompanied by a slight wave. Lexa walked to her car, taking a second to breathe before starting the engine. Just then she heard the text alert of her phone. She reached into her pocket and fully expected to see a stern message from the staff at Madi’s after school program. However, the text was from Clarke. It simply read:

Thanks for the coffee. It was great getting to know you. Next time is on me. 

Lexa was all smiles. There was going to be a “next time” and she couldn’t wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke’s POV

Clarke drummed her pen against the desk she shared with the other Operation Administrators, as she stared listlessly at the clock on the wall. Her new position gave her a lot more freedom in her schedule, as well as freedom from the negativity that had infiltrated her old job. However, unlike her past position in the intensive care unit, the nightly workload as an OA seemed to be feast or famine. This night was definitely famine, and she struggled to stay focused. She’d already checked the procedure schedules for the next day and matched them against physician orders making sure everything was lined up perfectly. She rounded earlier with the night shift managers from every unit, and there were no outstanding issues. She was more than halfway through her shift, which was dragging, and a wave of sleepiness slowly invaded her eyelids. Nope! “Unacceptable Griffin!” she exclaimed to herself. She got up, headed to the admin lounge and helped herself to one of the perks of her new gig: a freakishly over the top coffee maker with all the fix-ins. Supposedly, it was a gift from the old medical director after he was promoted to system director and left the hospital. Clarke didn’t care if it was hand delivered by Santa Claus himself, because it was exactly what she needed at 3:45 AM, and she was more than grateful. 

Clarke cut through the ER to see if there was anything that required her attention, stopping by the nurse’s station to get updates from the charge nurse. She saw the red and white flashing lights reflect off of the glass surround on the nurse’s station coming from the ambulance bay behind her. She turned around in time to see the paramedics hurriedly push a patient on a gurney into one of the trauma rooms. The curtains were closed so forcefully, that they swayed back and forth for a few seconds, exposing an already bloodied white tile floor. She heard the overhead page for the trauma doc, who rounded the corner seconds later and entered the trauma room. The doctor’s voice was loud and forceful, yet deliberately even. He could be heard ordering a nurse to notify the OA to activate the call teams and open an OR. Clarke was on it before the MD finished his sentence. She retrieved her spectra-link phone from her pocket and dialed the extension to the OR desk; the operating room would be opened and readied in five minutes. She relayed this info to the nurse outside the trauma room, and headed towards her office with a hint of a jog in her step. Once there, Clarke logged into the hospital computer system and pulled up the on-call staff roster. She notified the people that were in-house first, which was most of the team, and then found the name of who she needed for the recovery room. She clicked on the woman’s name to pull up her contact information. The page also contained a picture of the employee, who Clarke recognized but wasn’t sure exactly from where. She dialed the number and waited as it rang three times. Just before the last ring a raspy voice laden with sleep answered, “Lexa Woods.”

Clarke did not enjoy having to wake people up in the middle of their night, as she would’ve rather been sleeping too, but she stuck to her script and notified the woman that she would be needed at the hospital. “Shit!” was the response heard over the phone. Clarke was caught off guard and let professionalism slip by the wayside. She chuckled genuinely into the phone, beguiled by the woman’s slumberous honesty. Lexa Woods apologized earnestly, explaining that she was not a morning person. Clarke was amused by the woman, but didn’t want her to feel bad so she reassuringly said “We’re all good Lexa, it’s okay, I get it. Anyway, the doc is taking the patient to the OR now. They’ll need you there soon.” Just like that, Lexa was on her way. 

The commotion surrounding the trauma was a wonderfully organized mess; every person played their part well, and despite the gore of it all, they came together like a well-oiled machine. Within five minutes of activating the last person on-call, Clarke was back to business as usual. Back to boring. However, her mind drifted to the adorably raspy voice of Lexa Woods, and how she had interrupted the poor woman’s sleep. A twinge of guilt settled in her chest, albeit foolish because she was just doing her job after all. But that didn’t stop her from wanting to make it up to the woman, so she pondered on it a moment and came up with an idea. For the second time during her shift, Clarke found herself in the admin lounge. She grabbed a large cup and followed the directions to make a caramel latte with an extra shot of espresso. She pulled out the black sharpie that she always carried in her scrub pockets, and prepared to write Lexa’s name on the cup. Just before pressing the marker to the recycled cardboard surface, Clarke smiled, and changed course. She scribbled: For the “Morning Person.” Then added a winky face and her initials. She then headed towards the PACU to drop off the coffee. Part of her wanted to stay and wait for Lexa to arrive, so she could personally deliver the coffee and then...who knows. Another part of her started overthinking and over analyzing her actions; the latter part won out. Clarke left the coffee in plain view at the nurse’s station and went back to her office. To busy herself she organized a few things, answered the emails in her inbox, and made a phone call to check on the status of the trauma patient. Before long, she found that she was back to drumming her pen on her desk, waiting for her shift to end. 

The morning shift OA arrived promptly at 6:45 AM to receive report from Clarke and relieve her to go home for the day. It really didn’t take long for Clarke to go over the events of the night, since it was pretty slow sans the trauma, so by 7:00 AM Clarke found herself in her car and on the way home. Clarke hit the door of her ultra-modern high rise condominium, adorned with clean lines and metallic finishes, and went straight for a relaxing shower. When Clarke had been house hunting a few years ago, this place had caught her eye instantly. Everything seemed so sleek, almost futuristic, and her attraction to the space was cosmic. She loved living on one of the upper levels, because the view it provided made her feel like she was on top of the world, almost as if she was in orbit. She always made a point to pause at her large wall of windows to look down to Earth, and enjoy the view of the beautiful city below. After showering, and readying herself for bed, she sent her usual “Good Morning” text to her mom who was probably just arriving to the hospital. Clarke’s mother, Dr. Abby Griffin, was chief of general surgery. She purposefully didn’t tell people they were related, because she didn’t want anyone to think nepotism was at play, but there was definitely a resemblance that could be (and had been) noticed. Yet another reason she had applied for the night shift position. Clarke crawled into her bed, pulled the silken sheets up around her, and embraced the smooth coolness of the glacier blue bedding set. She set her clock radio’s alarm for 3:30 PM then pulled her sleep mask over eyes, before drifting off to sleep. 

Clarke woke up to the sound of the energetic Belgian rap song, Alors on Danse. The song made her smile, and reminisce about her time in Europe studying art. She thought to herself, “What a wonderful way to wake up!” Even though she hadn’t yet shaken off the hold of sleep, she lazily hummed along to the chorus that translated to “so we dance.” She made her way to the bathroom where she splashed some water on her face. She raised her arms and stretched, then proceeded to spin herself around in time to the music. Clarke felt good about the day. By the end of the song, the contented blonde found herself next to the wall of windows, curled up in her favorite chair. She scrolled through her phone, doing her “morning” check of current events, social media, and emails. When she opened her work email, her eyes immediately fixated on a name that was quickly becoming commonplace to her. Lexa Woods. She skipped over the emails from her supervisor and other administrators, and went straight for Lexa’s. The email was a little token of her appreciation for the coffee left at the nurse’s station. She had offered to return the favor at a nearby coffee shop that happened to be one of Clarke’s favorite places. Assuming the other nurse should be off at this time, she immediately sent back an email with her phone number and the suggestion to meet at 4:00 PM that day. Ugh. Why on earth did Clarke say 4:00; that was only 15 minutes away?! She sighed in her stupidity, and quickly dressed in her favorite scrub set. They were a metallic grey, and fit her body really well, almost as though they were tailored to her. She owned five sets. Clarke was ready to go in mere minutes, but had yet to receive a confirmation from Lexa. She impatiently waited as the minutes ticked by slowly, feeling as though they were actually hours. As 4:00 neared, Clarke felt a bit deflated and beat herself up a little regarding the timing. Then she heard the text alert; Lexa had replied! But, she couldn’t make it. Of course she couldn’t; Clarke had barely given herself enough time to get ready and make it there on time, and that was even if she rushed. Clarke mustered a last ditch effort and replied “4:15???” Before she even had a chance put her phone down, Lexa had enthusiastically confirmed. 

Clarke was in her car heading towards The Coalition Coffee Shop just minutes later. Her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, and despite her best judgement, she took it out while driving to see who was calling. Abby. The inner teenager in Clarke rolled her eyes and let the call go to voicemail. Her phone rang again. Fearing something was wrong, she made the mistake of answering. “Hey Mom, what’s up, is everything ok?” Clarke asked. Abby eagerly responded “Hey baby, glad you’re up, you’ll never guess who I just ran into!” The younger Griffin’s relief that there wasn’t an emergency of some sort, quickly turned to annoyance. “Mom, I’ve got to be somewhere in like 5 minutes, what do you need?” Her mother huffed, “Somebody is cranky today! Anywho, I ran into Finn Collins in the doctor’s lounge. He asked me about you and if you were enjoying your new job.” Clarke’s stomach dropped. “I’ve asked you not to discuss me with him since we broke up nearly 2 years ago. Can you please respect that!” Clarke was livid. Abby shushed her daughter as though she was trying to placate an infant, “Shhhh, honey he was just being nice, although based on how he smiled when he said your name, I think he still cares about you.” 

Clarke was lucky that she was stopped at a red light then, because her brain flashed back to when she and Finn were dating. Everything was great for a while. Finn was an ICU doc that worked exclusively with critical care patients. He was kind and attentive with his patients and that carried over to her. A few months into their relationship, they casually entered into a discussion about past love interests. Clarke rattled off the names of some guys, and girls, that she had dated in the past. From that point on, Finn became fixated on the fact Clarke was a bisexual. At first he jested about having threesomes, but when Clarke didn’t take the bait, he began to say things that disturbed her like how he wanted to “fuck that bisexual crap right out of her.” He began to question the nature of her relationships with friends and coworkers, and at one point cornered her at work because he claimed she “checked out” the respiratory therapist. Clarke broke up with him immediately thereafter, but it didn’t end there. Finn wanted to make things hard and messy, so he spread rumors and called her nursing integrity into question. She ended up having to defend herself to her manager and HR, but she was lucky that they heard her out. Finn received the tiniest slap on the wrist, and was reassigned to an ICU at another campus in the hospital system. Apparently, since Clarke was no longer in the ICU, they had let him come back. The light turned green. Clarke hung up on her mother. She knew her mother didn’t have all the details, because she had tried to keep it quiet, but she didn’t want to deal with that shit right now. She took a cleansing breath, pulled into The Coalition’s parking lot, and rested her head on the steering wheel for a minute. Her text alert chimed. Exasperated, she nearly threw the phone across the car, but caught Lexa’s name flash across the screen. Lexa was inside waiting on her. She checked her face in her rearview mirror, glad to see she hadn’t shed a tear, and took another deep breath. Clarke glanced up at the coffee shop and smiled, knowing Lexa was just beyond those doors. 

Lexa was easy to spot in her hospital issued sky blue scrubs, however, the first thing Clarke actually noticed was her intricately braided brunette tresses. Lexa was facing away from her, so Clarke tapped her on the shoulder which caused the other woman to startle a bit. Clarke smiled as Lexa turned around, and she immediately locked on to emerald green eyes. Internally her whole body was tingling and screaming “Wow!” Lexa was stunning. Her eyes held her in place like gorgeous little tractor beams, and Clarke was unable to look away. Not that she wanted to break eye contact with the beauty in front of her, but she slowly allowed herself to take all of Lexa in. Everything from her regally high cheekbones, endearing smirk, and tanned complexion had Clarke all but staring. Even through the boxy scrubs, Clarke could make out her toned muscles beneath, and found her mind wandering. Lexa spoke first, “Hi I’m Lexa. You want coffee?” It was the husky tone in her voice that triggered the realization of where she recognized this woman from; Lexa was the nurse everyone called for difficult IV starts. She had definitely noticed her before, but not as intensely as right then. “Want coffee? I think it’s more of a NEED at this point,” she responded to Lexa’s question, hoping she wasn’t coming off as too forward. 

The ladies stood in line for their coffee, close enough to rub elbows, and the air between them hung a little thick. There was minute of awkward silence, before Lexa made small talk about the seasonal coffee menu. That perked Clarke up, because she loved all things fall and pumpkin-spiced! She shared her current favorite drink with the brunette, and found herself licking her lips in anticipation. Maybe she should’ve grabbed a snack beforehand? The barista leaned towards the pair and asked for their order, and when Clarke turned to Lexa she found her green eyes wide and lost in thought. She physically had to nudge her to get her attention, and wondered what Lexa was thinking about that seemed to consume her in that moment. Lexa sprang to life once again and ordered coffee for the both of them. She normally didn’t care for people to order for her, but for some reason found it endearing when Lexa did it just then. 

Clarke picked a table that was next to the window in the quietest corner, figuring it’d be easier to talk further away from the distractions of the coffee bar. Lexa, once again, started the conversation. This time by thanking her again for the coffee she had left her that morning. The words of appreciation made Clarke’s face beam, and after that the metaphorical ice was broken. The ladies spoke about work and other interests. The banter was light, with just a hint of flirtation that seem to be reciprocated by both women. Clarke learned that Lexa had a kid, which she wanted to ask more about, but wasn’t sure how or if she should inquire further. However, what she didn’t notice was a wedding ring. She decided to leave that topic for another time. 

Clarke told her about the semester she spent abroad studying art and her love of outdoor activities like camping. That struck a chord with Lexa, who enjoyed the peace and freedom that nature provided. She even had a tattoo inspired by her favorite camping experience. “Oh I’d love to see that!” Clarke half asked, half stated. Lexa eagerly complied, laying her left arm down across the table revealing a mountain scene with a river running through it. The ink work was very intricate and detailed; a truly impressive piece of body art. Clarke felt compelled to trace her index finger over the fine lines, knowing she’d feel nothing but skin, but still wanting to connect with it. Connect with Lexa. She asked Lexa how long the tattoo took to complete, and when she didn’t receive an answer, she looked up to see Lexa looking down at her arm. More specifically she was looking down at Clarke’s hand. Her eyes were lost in thought again, but noticeably darker. Her lips were parted slightly and her cheeks definitely had more pink in them than earlier. In that moment Clarke knew this was absolutely more than just coffee. Lexa finally seemed to snap back to reality and answered her question about the time it took for the tattoo. Clarke didn’t remove her hand from Lexa’s arm though. Initially, it didn’t even occur to her that she should. Then she realized she didn’t want to. So she gave Lexa’s arm a gentle squeeze, daring her to pull away, and decided to just carry on with the conversation. 

When the topic landed on music, Lexa had asked her about an artist called Girl in Red. Clarke had heard of her before, but the only thing she really knew was that the singer was popular in the queer community. She said “I have heard of them, but I can’t honestly say I’ve heard any of their music” not knowing if she should expand on that or not. When she heard Lexa sigh, Clarke inquired further “Why do you ask?” Lexa’s response faltered on her lips and she broke eye contact. Before the conversation could continue on, Lexa announced she was late to pick up her child. For the first time since the topic of the tattoo, Lexa pulled her arm away. The first thought Clarke had was that she’d made Lexa upset somehow. But when the ladies stood to say their goodbyes, a handshake turned into a hug, and they lingered in the embrace for longer than customary. Clarke could feel the weight of Lexa’s body against hers, even after they had separated. Once Lexa had turned to walk towards the exit of the coffee shop, Clarke felt compelled to pull out her phone. Her thumbs hurriedly tapped at the screen: 

Thanks for the coffee. It was great getting to know you. Next time is on me.

Something told her she wouldn’t have to wait long for a response, because Clarke had a gut feeling that they both wanted there to be a “next time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just finished outlining chapter 3, and I’m over here all proud of myself cuz it’s gonna be cute y’all!!!


	3. Chapter 3

Lexa awoke to beautiful brown ringlets tickling her nose and the sound of her daughter’s laughter. “Mommy, mommy, it’s the weekend! Are ya still gonna make purple-berry pancakes?!” Madi said while bouncing on her hands and knees in Lexa’s bed. Lexa’s body jostled with every bounce, until she finally opened her eyes and addressed the little girl that looked like a carbon copy of herself as a child. “Yes _goufa_ we can make BLUEBERRY pancakes” she said using a term meaning “child” in the native tongue of her Trikru ancestors. Madi scrunched up her face, “I think they look more purple than blue; ‘specially when ya smash ‘em!” Lexa was giggling at her daughter’s witty remark, when she felt the air get knocked out of her. She looked down to see all 13 pounds of George sitting on her stomach, kneading her t-shirt with his paws. “Good morning too you too George” she grumbled jokingly. Lexa sat up, shooing the cat off of her, and leaned over to kiss her daughter on the forehead. The pair of Woods women then made their way into the kitchen, with Madi happily skipping ahead. 

After a delightfully filling breakfast, mother and daughter went for their weekly bike ride. The wooded bike trails that wound their way around the town were just a few minutes away from their home. Lexa enjoyed getting outside after a busy week at the hospital, and was grateful to be spending time with Madi. Lexa had made it a point to instill a love of the outdoors in her child, and their little family spent their weekends saturating themselves in nature whenever possible. The two of them happily rode through the autumn foliage, while Madi pointed out every squirrel, bird, and occasional bunny that they passed. After riding several miles, the trail opened up to a park with a large pond and playground equipment. Madi looked over at her mother, and with a nod of approval, she was off her bike and running toward the playground. Lexa watched from a safe distance as Madi made fast friends with the other children. They played tag, pushed each other on the swings, and hunted for turtles near the pond’s edge. Lexa heard Madi’s excited squeal, as she lifted a small turtle up victoriously. She walked over to her daughter, already anticipating the pleas to keep it as a pet. “Mommy it’s a red ear slider! I’ve always wanted one, can I keep him? I’m going to name him Sheldon!” Madi exclaimed while begging her mother with big green eyes. Lexa knelt down next to her, smiled, and lovingly said “Oh Sheldon is quite a good looking turtle, _goufa_ , but he lives here at the pond. We wouldn’t want to take him away from his home and his family, would we?” Madi sighed, knowing her mother was right, and gently set Sheldon down near the water’s edge. They watched as the turtle sprinted towards the pond and disappeared into the water with a plop. The young girl looked down feeling a bit dejected, until her mother nudged her and asked “Wanna race to the bikes?” Madi got a head start as she took off sprinting toward the bike rack. Lexa laughed as she chased after her daughter, making sure to let her arrive first, but only by a hair. The two followed the trails home, with Madi again pointing out all the wildlife that she spotted along their way. 

Once home, Lexa and Madi comfortably relaxed in the quiet of the afternoon. Madi chose to draw a picture of Sheldon the turtle and his pond family, while Lexa looked on as she leafed casually through a magazine. “Quack quack quack!” Lexa’s phone rang out, as Madi shot her mother a mischievous smirk. Lexa shook her head in minor annoyance, purposefully making eye contact with her daughter, and proceeded to answer the phone call from her friend Anya. “About time you answered” Anya aggressively greeted Lexa over the phone. Lexa rolled her eyes, “It literally only rang once before I picked up, An!” They both chuckled. Anya was Lexa’s oldest and closest friend; someone who she loved, respected, and relied on as if she were family. Their own mothers had been friends, so they had literally grown up together, with Anya fulfilling the role of older sister from the start. Anya was a lawyer in a busy, successful law firm downtown, and had just recently made partner. She’d been so preoccupied with work that Lexa hadn’t spent time with her in over a month. “I just finished with a deposition over in your neck of the woods, and was wondering if I could invite myself over” Anya stated. Lexa sarcastically replied “Let me check with the boss.” She then called out to Madi and asked “Do you wanna see your Aunty An?” Madi screeched excitedly in response, and both women had their answer. “See you in an hour” Anya blurted out and hung up the phone. She never was one to use more words than necessary. 

Anya didn’t arrive empty handed. When the doorbell rang, she presented Lexa with a case of beer and a bottle of sparkling grape juice for Madi. She was wearing an all black pantsuit with heels, and her highlighted brown hair had been straightened, juxtaposed perfectly with the angles of her bone structure. Her whole look screamed “boss bitch.” Anya pushed her way in, unloading the beer into Lexa’s arms, and went to greet the young girl she affectionally called her niece. “What’s up my little grounder?” Anya asked as she gave Madi a big hug and spun her in the air. Madi returned the embrace and giggled as they spun round, her legs dangling behind her. “Aunty An, I’m not a little baby crawling on the ground anymore, when are you gonna stop calling me that?” Madi questioned once her feet hit the floor again. “Never! You’ll always be a little grounder to me!” Anya laughed and mussed Madi’s brunette curls. Anya then turned to her friend and asked “So are we getting pizza or chinese?” Lexa shook her head, amused by the whole scene, and replied “Why is it always pizza or chinese?” Anya shrugged through her response, “So...you don’t want pizza or chinese?” Lexa furrowed her brow, “Well now I do. I’ll order the pizza.” Anya walked over to Madi, raised her eyebrows, and then held out the palm of her hand. Madi enthusiastically gave her a high five and a wink.

After the three of them had eaten their fill of the double meat/double cheese New York style pizza, Lexa got Madi ready for bed and set her up with a movie in her room. Anya was on the sofa, typing aggressively on her phone, with a beer in her lap. “Work?” Lexa asked as she sat down next to her friend, grabbing her own beer. “Yeah, it’s always work. I have no life.” she replied through a sigh. “So what’ve you been up to? You good?” Anya asked, quick to change the subject. Lexa nodded and took a long drink of her beer. Anya paused, waiting for more of a response that didn’t come, and then said “Hmm. Usually I’m the one that isn’t up for talking, and you’re making me look like a regular chatter box. You have something on your mind. Spill.” Anya knew her too well. Lexa looked contemplatively at her friend and managed the words “So there’s this girl...” before Anya erupted with “Ohhhhhhh!” and literally bounced in her seat almost spilling her beer. Lexa felt the heat spread across her cheeks. Anya saw the redness on her friend’s face, cleared her throat to compose herself, and stated very matter of factly with a slight tilt of her head, “Do proceed.” Lexa took a deep breath and recounted her whole experience with Clarke. She told Anya about everything from cursing over the phone, to the first cup of coffee, all the way up to her fingers on the tattoo. “Then once I realized I was late to pick up Madi, we were standing there saying goodbye. I went to shake her hand like a dumb ass, and she totally pulled me in for a hug! And it wasn’t a quick little squeeze either, it was a full frontal embrace Anya!” Lexa animatedly proclaimed. Anya had been sitting there nodding along with the story. When it ended abruptly, she looked at her friend and questioned “So...?” Lexa’s face bore a puzzled expression, “What do you mean ‘So’?” Anya shrugged her shoulders, “So...what happened next? Are y’all like ‘talking’ now? Are y’all going out again?” Lexa smiled sheepishly and said “Well she text me after I left that day saying the next coffee was on her, but I haven’t responded yet. I didn’t want to come off too eager or whatever.” Anya just rolled her eyes. Lexa kept going, “She could’ve just been trying to be nice, you know?” Anya rolled her eyes and shook her head this time, replying condescendingly “You are such a useless lesbian, Lexa. Let me see what she wrote exactly.” Lexa pulled out her phone, selected the text from Clarke, and handed it to Anya. Tired of seeing Anya’s eyes do full circles in their sockets, Lexa got up to get another beer and spare herself further embarrassment. When she sat back down she almost immediately heard her text alert go off. Anya was smiling...too much. “WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?” Lexa huffed through gritted teeth. Anya smiled even bigger, “You gonna check that?” she asked smugly. Lexa looked down at her phone, then back up at Anya, then back down at her phone. As she opened the text message, she felt a lump in her throat. Anya had written:

Clarke, I’ve been craving another cup of coffee. When’s “Next Time?”

Her stomach completely fell out. Then she read Clarke’s reply:

Whenever you want. 

Three simple words later, her stomach was full of butterflies and her chest was pounding. Anya had reclined on the sofa and was resting her head on her fist. She was still smiling when she said “So, Lexa, when is ‘Next Time?” Lexa wanted to punch her and hug her at the same time. She settled on throwing the phone at her friend’s head, who caught it mid air and read Clarke’s response. “Ooooooh, whenever you want it, eh?” she mocked, then promptly added “Better not make her wait too long for a response this time.” Lexa forcibly took back her phone and stared at the text, thumbs ready to reply, as she thought of the right words. Tap, tap, tap. Delete. Tap, tap, tap. Delete. She thought about Clarke’s work schedule, and considered the need for childcare for Madi, and settled on the next Saturday. They both would be off work then, and Madi would be with her other mother. Lexa bit her bottom lip and finished the message:

How about next Saturday, after you wake up in the afternoon?

She pressed send. Within seconds she saw the little text bubbles appear in the bottom left of her screen, indicating that Clarke was writing a reply:

Sounds perfect! I’ll text you when I wake up and we can meet at The Coalition. 😊

Lexa must have been grinning like a kid in a candy store, because when she looked up and caught Anya’s gaze, her friend stated matter of factly “You’re welcome.”

Lexa found that the next several days seemed to fly by. She busied herself with work and Madi’s after school activities. Thursday morning started off like any other work day; she got up, grabbed a quick bite, got ready for work, and arrived right on time. That all changed just a minute after she clocked in. She heard the overhead alert go off, followed by the announcement of “Code Blue. PACU 5. Code Blue. PACU 5.” Shit! Lexa booked it to her unit, in time to see the call team nurse and an anesthesiologist working a code on a post-op patient. Lexa quickly put gloves on and went to the bedside, as the anesthesiologist filled her in on the details. The other nurse had retrieved the crash cart and was applying defibrillator pads. Lexa started compressions, making sure to press hard and fast on the patient’s chest to ensure adequate depth and blood perfusion. After a cycle of compressions, Lexa and the other nurse switched places while the AED analyzed the patient’s cardiac status. The anesthesiologist had intubated the patient and was managing their respirations. Other hospital staff had responded by this point; doctors, nurses, and administrators were all doing their designated jobs. The anesthesiologist barked out a medication order, which Lexa repeated back to him, and then turned to retrieve the medication from the crash cart. For a fraction of a second her eyes locked on to sun-kissed blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes, before she was back in the zone ready to administer the life saving medicine. The pharmacist arrived and took over mixing and prepping medications. Lexa took the opportunity to start a secondary IV, per protocol, which she executed perfectly even under pressure. By this time, the other nurse had gone through another cycle of compressions and called out to switch. Lexa was back on the patient’s chest a second later, trying her best to pump life back into them. After her cycle of compressions, the anesthesiologist called out “Charge to 200” and they cleared the patient to administer a shock. The patient’s chest rose up and fell back to the bed with a thump. The lethal cardiac rhythm had converted to sinus rhythm! Everything said and done, the Code Blue had only lasted 5 whole minutes, and everyone in the room could feel their adrenaline pumping. 

Lexa had begun to clean up and complete the post code protocols, when she spotted Clarke walking towards her. She removed her gloves, washed her hands, and tried to discreetly fix some stray hairs that were damp with sweat. Clarke smiled as she approached and said somewhat flirtatiously “Strong work, Woods.” Lexa returned the smile and jokingly replied “There’s nothing like starting your day with a cardiac arrest! That’ll wake you up faster than coffee!” Clarke huffed out a terse chuckle, and stated “That’s so true, but now I’m wide awake when I had plans to go to bed here shortly.” Lexa cringed a little, knowing all too well how hard it could be to come down from the adrenaline. However, a thought came to her then, and she decided to go ahead and shoot her shot. She looked up into the blue sapphires of Clarke’s eyes, grinned, and said “I hope you sleep well, but if you need a pick me up before your shift this evening, I’d be more than happy to meet you for coffee.” Lexa’s insides tensed up as she waited for a response, hoping that her offer had been received well. Clarke held her gaze for an uncomfortably long few seconds, obviously carefully considering her response, and replied “I’ll see you at 4:00 then.” Lexa nodded in confirmation before Clarke was pulled away to give report to the day shift OA. Lexa felt like she could scream with delight, but held it all inside, instead sporting a smile for the rest of the day. However, while the preceding days had flown by, the hours left in her shift that day drug on and on. Several times she found herself checking the time, only to check once again later, and find that only a few minutes had passed. The anticipation was exhausting. By the time she got off work she needed the caffeine fix just as much as she wanted to spend time with Clarke. Well, almost. 

Lexa clocked out right at 3:30 PM and stopped by the staff locker room. She exchanged her scrub top for a clean one, splashed some water on her face, and straightened up her braids. She walked straight to her car, oblivious to the colleagues she passed in the hallways. Once in her SUV, she spared 30 seconds to touch up her mascara and lip color, and then was on her way to The Coalition Coffee Shop. Clarke had text her saying she had arrived early, asked for her order, and if it would be ok if they sat out on the patio. Lexa typed a response at a red stop light, and noticed her palms were clammy with nervous excitement. When she pulled into the parking lot, she could see Clarke’s blonde hair and metallic gray scrubs catching the sunlight shining from above. She swallowed hard and made her way over to the table. As she approached Clarke, who was facing away from her, she allowed her hand to graze against her shoulder before taking the seat across from her. “Hey!” they each enthusiastically stated, almost in unison. There were mutual smiles and exchanges of quiet laughter. 

Lexa took a sip of her sweetened coffee; the warmth of the drink spreading through the inside of her body, mirroring the warmth spreading across her cheeks. Clarke scooted a small plate with two pumpkin spiced muffins closer to Lexa, “Breakfast?” she asked. Lexa graciously accepted one and replied “Afternoon snack” while gesturing the muffin towards her as is if she were making a toast. Clarke shot an amused smirk her way. Lexa asked, pausing between mouthfuls of muffin, “So did you sleep well?” The question caught Clarke mid bite, and she nodded while covering her mouth politely. Once she swallowed, she took a drink of her latte (most likely pumpkin flavored), and stated “Oh yeah, I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow. It was a busy night last night. Traumas, a midnight transfer, and 2 codes.” Lexa hadn’t been aware of the other code, and asked how it went out of curiosity. Clarke’s face fell a little as she replied “Not as well as yours this morning. Let’s just say I had a lot of paperwork and phone calls to make in the middle of the night.” Clarke let out a sigh, and Lexa gathered that the patient probably didn’t make it. The blonde regained composure quickly and redirected the conversation, “Although I have to say, you were a bad ass this morning. You walked right into that code and it was like a well choreographed dance.” Lexa swelled a little, unsure if she really deserved the praise as she was just doing her job, but damn did it feel good to be on the receiving end of a complement from Clarke. Lexa sat up a little straighter, and smiled, as she gave credit to the other members of the code team as well. There was a brief, yet comfortable, pause in their conversation as they each finished their muffins. 

Lexa saw Clarke obviously check the time, and her mind panicked momentarily, thinking that Clarke might be bored and looking for an “out” to end their time together. Her fears were completely unsubstantiated, as Clarke explained her actions seconds later by asking “What time do you have to pick your daughter up today? I’m curious as to how much time we have left.” Lexa’s pulse calmed, just a little, and she replied “I have to leave by 5:15 to make it on time, no worries though, I’ve set an alarm.” Clarke followed up with some general questions about Madi; her name, her age, her interests, etc. Lexa was all too eager to share the information; Madi was her greatest joy after all. Clarke seemed genuinely interested and asked to see a photo. Lexa happily obliged her, pulling out her phone and letting Clarke scroll through a photo album that contained images from every stage of Madi’s life. “Lexa she’s absolutely gorgeous, and she looks just like you. Even down to her pretty green eyes and the way she smiles!” Clarke commented sweetly. It was not lost on Lexa that one could infer from Clarke’s comments that she was calling her gorgeous too. At least she hoped. The text alert on Lexa’s phone went off, interrupting Clarke from viewing the photos in the album. Lexa indicated that she should just ignore it, but Clarke stated “It looked to be about Madi” and then handed the phone back to Lexa. The text was from Costia saying that Madi had forgotten her homework folder at her house, and was asking if Lexa wanted her to drop it off. Lexa quickly replied to the text, then apologized to Clarke for the interruption, saying “Sorry, that was my ex-wife. Madi forgot something at her house yesterday. No big deal.” 

Lexa watched as the gears turned behind Clarke’s blue eyes, and then a soft smile formed on her face. Was it a sense of realization? Or confirmation? Lexa didn’t know for sure, but Clarke seemed kind of pleased with the knowledge. Clarke tilted her head to the side slightly, and slowly bit her bottom lip in thought, before taking an audible breath. “Can I ask you something?” Clarke blurted out. Lexa nodded, her face tense but still smiling back at the woman across from her. “Last time, when you asked about Girl in Red, were you trying to see if I’m into women?” she asked without hesitation. Lexa’s breath hitched, her jaw hung slack, and her mind started racing. Words failed at her lips as she tried to organize her thoughts into an appropriate verbal response. Clarke had hit the nail on the head; she knew it, and she was pretty sure Clarke knew it too. So she decided the best, and really only, course of action would be to just own it. “Yes” she said plainly. It was a short, sweet, and right to the point answer. Lexa waited with baited breath for Clarke’s response. After a long pause, Clarke made eye contact with her, and in a slightly deeper voice said “You’re not wrong. I’m into both.” Clarke bit her lip again, and it took everything in Lexa’s being to not fall out of her seat. 

They held one another’s gaze for a little while, each wearing a flirtatious grin. The kindred moment was only broken when the sun’s position dipped in the sky causing sunlight to uncomfortably shine in Clarke’s eyes. She squinted and brought her hand up to shield herself, blocking her face from Lexa’s view. “Why don’t you pull your chair around?” Lexa suggested, placing her hand on the table next to where she sat and giving it a tap. Clarke moved without hesitation, placing her chair mere inches away from the brunette. Lexa rested her arms on the table, angling in her seat to be able to look at Clarke’s gorgeous face while they spoke. Clarke smiled coyly and mimicked her stance. She opened her mouth, looked away briefly, before turning back to find green eyes waiting. “Lexa,” the way Clarke said her name sent a shiver down her spine, “is this coffee or a date?” Lexa’s mouth went dry, and the air seemed to rush out of her lungs, but she didn’t break eye contact with Clarke’s ocean eyes. “I want more than anything for this to be a date” Lexa spoke softly, as she fidgeted nervously with her fingers. Clarke slid her hand into Lexa’s; their fingers finding purchase as they interlaced with one another. Lexa had become acutely aware of the delicate softness of Clarke’s skin against her own, which seem to excite every nerve fiber in her body, and quicken her pulse. “I guess it’s a date then.” Clarke managed to reply before the pair succumbed to lighthearted laughter. The weight of unrequited feelings had lifted, and the women felt a sense of calm contentment rush over them. 

Lexa’s thumb explored the silken texture of Clarke’s skin, as it traced soft circles on the hand that seemed to fit perfectly in her own. “I’m so glad it was you that woke me up that night.” Lexa shared in barely more than a whisper, while giving the blonde’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Your sleepy swearing was just too cute. It made me really want to meet you.” Clarke replied amorously while waggling her eyebrows, “I’m glad the coffee worked!” Lexa’s face lit up as she scoffed animatedly in response, “Ohhh, you had this all planned out, huh? I see!” They shared playful giggles and continued to joke flirtatiously with one another. However, the rest of their conversation would be completed hand in hand. It was mutually decided that they should graduate from coffee to other beverages, or maybe even a meal, on their next date. Since they had already established a date and time for the upcoming Saturday, thanks in part to Anya, the pair relished in the idea of a proper date right around the corner. Just then, Lexa’s alarm sounded indicating their time together would be coming to an end. The women stared at the phone, cursing the mocking tone of the alarm, as they were both so content to let the moment linger. Lexa sighed as she turned it off, and looked up at Clarke who nodded her head in understanding. “Go get your kiddo” Clarke encouraged gently, as she used their clasped hands to pull Lexa out of her seat. Feeling emboldened, Lexa pulled Clarke into an intimate hug, taking a minute to memorize the way their bodies fit together. With her lips so close to Clarke’s ear, Lexa softly whispered “I had a great time.” When they finally eased apart from their embrace, Lexa felt Clarke’s hand cup her right cheek. She leaned into the warm caress and made eye contact. They held each other’s gaze for a brief moment, before Clarke moved closer and kissed her left cheek; her pillowy pink lips overlapping the corner of Lexa’s mouth. The invisible imprint of those perfect lips stayed with Lexa all evening.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke’s POV
> 
> Hey guys, sorry this chapter took me a little longer than expected. It’s about twice as long as previous chapters, but I’m really hoping you’ll enjoy it!

Clarke checked the clock on her phone for what was probably the 10th time that shift. It was barely after midnight and she had nearly 7 hours left. She’d completed the bulk of her duties already, save for some of the more menial tasks that she tended to put off for later in the morning when she was losing steam. She heard the pitchy crack of the hospital overhead PA system, and looked up at the ceiling, waiting for the code to be called. There were several different colors to choose from, and none of them were good things. “Code Blue, SICU 8. Code Blue, SICU 8.” Clarke grabbed the expandable portfolio for emergent situations, and ran to the department she knew like the back of her hand. It took her nearly 2 minutes to run the length of the hospital to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and when she got there the critical care doc was running the code. Anesthesiologists, ICU nurses, a respiratory therapist, an x-ray tech, and the pharmacist all lined the ICU room. Each member of the team jumping in when and where necessary. Clarke pulled the code recording sheet from the portfolio and started documenting everything in time. The patient had come in as a trauma yesterday, and had undergone emergent surgery. They had stabilized enough to get transferred to the ICU, but it had been touchy the entire admission. After 22 minutes of pure adrenaline, hard work, and the entire team pulling out all the stops for this patient, they finally succumbed to their injuries. The critical care doc called the time of death at 00:26; less than a half hour into the new day. As customary, the team took a brief moment of silence, and then began to clean the room and prepare the body. Clarke’s night was about to get really busy. 

Before even making it back to her office, she called the director of Life Gift and told them about the newly expired patient. They’d come within 30 minutes to see if anything was viable for donation. Clarke took a deep breath, sat down at her desk, and logged into the patient charting system. She pulled up the patient’s demographic sheet and found the number for next of kin. Her fingers trembled just a little as she dialed the number; this was her first time to notify family of their loved one’s death. That wasn’t part of her past duties as an ICU nurse. She followed the written prompt as best she could, using terms that were straight forward but not too cold. Clarke listened to the patient’s mother cry. She listened to her beg and plead for it to be someone else’s child. Clarke offered resources and asked if anyone else needed to be contacted, hoping that the answer would be “no.” Unfortunately, the grieving woman asked for her daughter to be called, so Clarke did as requested. She followed the prompt again. More tears. More swearing. More begging. There was nothing Clarke could say to make this go any easier, for either of them. After the calls, she started in on the paperwork. It would take her nearly 3 hours to tie up all the loose ends. Clarke stretched her neck from side to side, eliciting a pop in each direction. She stood up and decided to go finish the “easy stuff” she had put off earlier in the night. 

As she went along her way, she passed by the administrator’s lounge, and popped in for a pick me up. Seeing the coffee maker made her smile and think about the coffee that brought her and Lexa together. Subsequently, she thought about how that had led to an additional coffee date that was scheduled for the upcoming Saturday. The whole Lexa situation had her feeling some kind of way, and to be honest, she was enjoying it. A playful smirk found her lips, and she decided she would take a cup to Lexa on her way out of work, as kind of a little prelude of things to come. As she finished up her rounds, she was rooted into place by the cringeworthy sound of the PA system again. “Please not another code blue,” she whispered out loud to herself. She wouldn’t be so lucky. Once again she found herself running across the hospital to the announced location. Clarke paused, mouth agape, as she walked onto the scene. Lexa was on top of the patient, doing compressions, trying her best to transfer the force from her hands into the patient’s chest. The team worked so well together, and she stood in awe for a moment as Lexa’s movements became fluid and rhythmic. As Lexa switched roles with another nurse, Clarke swore she made eye contact with the other woman’s bright emerald greens. Clarke pulled out her recording sheet and started documenting, but found it hard to not stare at the beautiful brunette. She noticed the toned muscles of her tanned arms contract with each compression. She observed the look of determination that was furrowed into Lexa’s brow. It all culminated in the pit of her stomach, feeling like 1000 butterflies were trapped inside. After only 5 minutes, Lexa’s patient took a turn for the better, and soon after they were whisked up to ICU. Clarke sighed in relief that she would not have to repeat the process of earlier in the night. 

Clarke felt the overwhelming need to check on Lexa; to see how she was feeling after the unsolicited excitement that was the first few minutes of the other nurse’s shift. As Clarke walked over to her, she caught a glimpse of Lexa trying to fix some stray hairs, and it brought a smile to her face. “Strong work, Woods” she greeted, in a voice that came out a little too sultry. The butterflies were still quite active in her stomach. Lexa joked about the effects of adrenaline being like caffeine, which Clarke was more than aware of at that current moment. She felt so wound up from all the action during her shift, she doubted if she’d find a restful sleep. Lexa seemed to understand, as she then extended an offer for coffee...that afternoon. Clarke took a second to think it over; she 100% was going to go regardless, but she wondered if it would be in addition to or in lieu of their upcoming Saturday plans. After a few contemplative moments Clarke agreed to meet her that afternoon, before being beckoned over to give report to the day shift OA. As Clarke turned to walk away, she felt the butterflies stir again, and she made the realization that she was invested in _this_. Invested in _Lexa_ , and she was determined to find out if this was just a friendship or perhaps something more. 

Clarke had made it home, showered, and readied herself for bed in record time. It turned out her worries of a restless sleep were unfounded; the stress of the night faded away as soon as her head hit the pillow. At 3:00 PM she roused back into lucidness, as her alarm played “Dance Monkey” just loud enough to wake her. However, she woke with a stirring inside of her that wasn’t uneasy, but it intensely lingered. It was something that had left her heart beating rapidly and a flush that covered her from head to toe. She deduced that she had been having a vivid dream, but like most of her dreams, she could only remember the feelings and not the details. This particular dream had left her feeling like she needed to take a cold shower. So after her second shower in less than eight hours, she got ready quickly and made it to The Coalition a little early. It was such a gorgeous fall day, or as fall feeling as it gets that far south, that Clarke decided to ask Lexa if they could take their coffee outside on the patio. She got Lexa’s drink order and bought some muffins for the pair to share, then sat down at the most secluded table available to wait. 

She pulled out her phone, and being a creature of habit, she went through her routine of social media and emails. Mid email, she felt a tingling sensation sweep across her upper back, and then a warm hand cupped her shoulder briefly. Her startle progressed to a chill that went down her spine as she looked up into Lexa’s verdant gaze. They both greeted each other in unison with a simple “Hey,” and then Lexa sat directly across from her. Clarke offered her a muffin, which she accepted, and then they both began to enjoy their refreshments. Lexa innocently inquired if she had slept well, which triggered the same rush of feelings she woke up with earlier and the flash of an image of blonde and brunette hair wildly mussed beneath Clarke’s sheets. She had dreamt about Lexa. Clarke nearly choked on her muffin, but was able to cover her mouth and play it off as though she wanted to be polite and not talk with her mouth full. She nodded as she washed the food down with her coffee, and then changed the subject quickly to the first thing that came to mind; work. Clarke briefly recounted her busy night with both of the codes. It hadn’t occurred to her that Lexa might not have known about the other code, but the PACU nurse was fairly removed from the comings and goings of the ICU, especially on night shift. Clarke remembered the phone calls she had to make the night before, and paused for a second, looking away from Lexa. Clarke released a heavy sigh, and then tried to transition from the negative experience of the first code to the more positive experience of the one Lexa participated in. She professed “Although I have to say, you were a bad ass this morning. You walked right into that code and it was like a well choreographed dance.” Clarke could see the smile forming and watched as Lexa sat up straighter, obviously welcoming the praise. However, Lexa practiced humility, and retorted “I was just doing my job, and everyone there contributed to the good outcome. I’m blessed to work with such a great team of people.” The women were content to smile back and forth at each other while they finished their muffins and sipped on their coffees. 

Every time Clarke looked across the table she found her eyes wandered to the curvature of Lexa’s lips. She feared getting caught staring, but then again, she thought she would be perfectly happy to stare at them for hours on end. However, she knew she didn’t have hours with Lexa, because eventually she’d have to leave to pick up her daughter. Clarke retrieved her phone to check the time, and as she looked up, she could’ve sworn she saw worry in Lexa’s eyes. Clarke asked “What time do you have to pick your daughter up today? I’m curious as to how much time we have left.” The worry had faded and Lexa informed her that they had just under an hour left, and that she set an alarm as a reminder. “What’s her name?” Clarke curiously inquired. “Madi” she was all too eager to respond. “Oh that’s cute, is it short for Madison?” Clarke asked. Lexa shook her head and said “No, but I get asked that a lot. It’s just Madi. I wanted her to have a short name just like me.” That had answered a question Clarke had regarding Lexa’s name, and if it was short for something else. Seeing how animated Lexa was when talking about her daughter was simply adorable, so Clarke asked to know all about Madi. Lexa smiled hesitantly, as if to say “do you really want to go there,” and Clarke urged her on. “Madi is hands down the best thing I’ve ever done. She is so smart, I mean just so intuitive to her surroundings, and compassionate as well. She’s outgoing and playful. She adores animals and if she had her way we’d live in a zoo! She just tried to bring home a turtle the other day. I think she got her love of the outdoors from me. She’s super creative and very artistic, which she did not get from me.” Lexa chuckled as she went on about her daughter. Clarke had rested her head on her fist and just smiled dreamily as she listened to Lexa lovingly describe Madi. Clarke interrupted with “Can I see a photo?” Lexa was ready, and she pulled out her phone and opened the photo album. Lexa handed her phone to Clarke, who began to scroll through images of Madi from birth to present. The little girl was definitely Lexa’s mini me. Clarke looked up and seemed to compare mother and daughter, and then told Lexa how gorgeous her little girl was. Lexa’s smile grew wider. Clarke noticed that most pictures were of just Madi, and some had Madi and Lexa, but there was one that seemed professionally photographed and that contained another woman as well. Clarke silently wondered who the other woman was, as both Madi and Lexa looked very comfortable with her presence. Although, Madi was a few years younger in that image. Furthermore, she did not see any photos with a male who could be construed to be Madi’s father. Clarke felt the phone vibrate, and a text message dropped down from the top of the screen. She didn’t mean to read it, but caught Madi’s name in the text, so she thought it best to give the phone back to Lexa to check. Lexa opened the text, responded quickly, and said “Sorry, that was my ex-wife. Madi forgot something at her house yesterday. No big deal.” Clarke would’ve been lying if she heard anything other than “ex-wife.

Clarke’s suspicions were confirmed. Her mind reeled with the possibilities and she internally celebrated that she wasn’t misreading the signals. At least she hoped she wasn’t. She contemplated how to segue into a conversation regarding her own attractions towards women without coming off weird. She recalled the question Lexa had asked the other day, about Girl in Red, and thought that might be direct enough. She took a deep breath in to calm her nerves, and then said “Can I ask you something?” The sudden question must have taken Lexa by surprise, because her eyes were wide and she simply nodded in response. Clarke followed up, “Last time, when you asked about Girl in Red, were you trying to see if I’m into women?” Yup, Lexa was definitely surprised. Her mouth gaped, like she was trying to say something but the words wouldn’t come. After a tense few seconds, Lexa looked up, eyes emboldened and dark green, and she replied “yes.” Clarke was giddy, but did her best to appear calm and composed. She steadied herself, inhaled, and breathed out a slightly husky response, “You’re not wrong. I’m into both.” Clarke bit her lip in an effort to keep her expression neutral, as to not give away the intense excitement she was feeling. She saw Lexa white knuckle the arms of her chair, as her cheeks flushed red across her face. Right then Clarke knew, Lexa was in _this_ too.

At that point the pair might as well have been a couple of teenagers; completely reduced to butterflies in their stomachs and stupid grins. Clarke felt warmth spread across her face. Her first thought was that she was blushing something fierce, but she then noticed the sun had come out from behind some clouds and was shining directly in her eyes. Finding it quite uncomfortable, she raised her hand to shield herself from the intensity of the sun’s rays, but doing so totally obscured her view of Lexa. That just would not do. Apparently, Lexa felt the same way, because she suggested Clarke pull her chair around to sit right next to her, out of the sun. Clarke did not hesitate and quickly complied, scooting her chair just inches away from Lexa’s. The brunette positioned herself in her chair somewhat sideways, resting her arms on the table, so she could face Clarke’s direction. Clarke mimicked her position, and smirked Lexa’s way. As they quietly held each other’s gaze, Clarke felt the need to clarify one thing further, so the blonde gently asked “Lexa, is this coffee or a date?” The blonde noticed Lexa began to nervously wring her fingers, as she softly spoke the words that Clarke so desperately wanted to hear, “I want more than anything for this to be a date.” Clarke finally breathed, and then sought out Lexa’s hands with her own, hoping to calm the brunette’s nerves. Her response came out laced with giddy laughter, feeling light and content in the moment, “I guess it’s a date then.”

Clarke struggled to pay attention to anything other than Lexa’s thumb, as it made sweet circles lightly across her skin. The sensation hit her in waves of tingles that spread much further than her hand. The two divulged that their mutual attraction began before they had even laid eyes on each other; Clarke with Lexa’s sleepy swearing, and Lexa with the first cup of coffee. Clarke could not help but feel their meeting was fated, but she didn’t yet have the words to express that to the gorgeous girl that held her hand. The flirtatious banter between them felt natural and equally fun. Clarke got a bit serious though when she asked “We’re still on for Saturday, right?” Lexa’s eyes softened to match her smile, and she replied “Of course, I can’t think of a better way to spend the day. But, what if we went somewhere other than...here. Like, maybe go get some food and do ‘real’ date stuff.” Clarke giggled and said “Sounds perfect. I’m sure I can think of something.” Their playful laughter was interrupted by the sound of Lexa’s alarm. The crestfallen look that adorned each of their faces was a silent acknowledgment that their time together had come to an end. Both hesitated to stand, not wanting to be the first to physically break away. Clarke swallowed hard, stood up, and managed to smile as she pulled Lexa up to a standing position without breaking their grasp. After offering words of encouragement and a reminder of why Lexa had to leave, Clarke was pulled into a hug. Clarke returned the embrace, but was acutely aware of how their bodies fit together, how the rise and fall of Lexa’s chest felt against against her own, and how each of their hips sought pressure against the other. Clarke’s knees nearly buckled when Lexa whispered that she had a great time in her ear. After several long moments, the women slowly pried themselves apart from the embrace. Clarke intuitively reached her left hand up to cup Lexa’s cheek, which was met with a nuzzle and intense green eyes staring back. Clarke’s right hand found Lexa’s hip, and with the slightest pressure, their bodies came together once again. Clarke’s lips found purchase against Lexa’s cheek, placing them precisely at the corner of her mouth, making it clear her kiss had further intentions. The tiniest of gasps escaped Lexa’s lips, and Clarke was rewarded with the feeling of butterflies in her belly. 

As cliché as it was, Clarke hated to see Lexa leave, but enjoyed watching her walk away. The brunette had turned to shoot her the most adorable grin accompanied by a playful wink, before getting in her SUV. Clarke still had an hour and a half before she needed to leave for work, and didn’t want to just wait it out at the coffee shop. She also had the overwhelming urge to tell someone about her _date_ with Lexa. She took out her phone, scrolled to her best friend’s name, and text Raven:

**Hey Rae, I’m over near your office and have some time to kill. You off?**

The response came a couple of minutes later:

**Sup Blondie?! Just saw the last patient of my day, so feel free to come over.**

Her bestie always seemed to come through for her and she immediately set off towards Raven Reyes’ office in the nearby medical suites. Raven could have easily been Clarke’s arch nemesis if it weren’t for her impeccable sense of humor and equally impressive whit. Abby had taken Raven on as a Fellow for her general surgery rotation, and the closeness the elder Griffin and the young doctor shared had sparked some jealousy in Clarke. Raven sensed the tension when she had accompanied her attending physician to dinner one evening, unaware she had been invited to a family event. Instead of playing it down, she took Clarke head on and decided they were gonna sort that shit out. A few bottles of wine later, and their budding friendship was well on its way to greatness. 

It took Clarke only a few minutes to arrive at the office, and she had to bang on the locked door that read “Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery.” The lock rattled and the dark-eyed Latin lovely opened the door for Clarke to enter. “Blondie!” Raven squealed with purposefully over the top excitement. Clarke side-hugged her friend, and the two headed back to Raven’s corner office. Raven took her seat in her leather office chair, and Clarke sat in one of the consultation chairs across the desk from her. Raven opened her desk drawer, rummaged around for a bit, and tossed Clarke a lollipop while proceeding to unwrap her own. “Ah the perks of working with kids; I always have candy around” she sarcastically boasted. Clarke unwrapped her own and lifted her arm, holding the candy out towards Raven, and said “Shall we?” Raven, understanding perfectly, emulated Clarke’s stance and tapped their lollipops together, toasting “To good health, fortune, friendship, and love!” At that, the friends popped their candies into their mouths, and pulled them out again with a wet smacking noise. Laughter ensued. Clarke cleared her throat and said “On that note, I just finished up a DATE with the most amazing woman.” Raven leaned forward on her desk, pointed her candy at Clarke and said through an eager smile “Tell me everything!” Clarke lost herself in an animated retelling of how she met Lexa, making sure to stress how gorgeous she was, and how they just seemed to click right away. She told her friend about the tattoo on her forearm, how she dominated during the code, and about her adorable little girl. She tried to fit so many details in to each breath, Raven just sat there open-mouthed and wide-eyed trying to take it all in. When Clarke mentioned their hugs and the kiss, Raven interrupted with “That’s what I’m talking about, get to the good stuff, Griff!” Clarke blushed and rolled her eyes, and retorted “That’s it! Unless you count the dream I had. But, on a more serious note, we have another date this Saturday and I want to make it good. Help?!” Clarke could tell Raven wanted to ask more about the dream, but instead she started brainstorming ideas for possible date activities. “So you said she loves the outdoors and seems pretty adventurous” Raven thought out loud, “You like paddle boarding. That’s outdoors.” Clarke eyed Raven questioningly and said “Rae, it’s October.” Raven immediately fired back with “October in Texas! It’s going to be like 80 something this weekend.” She had a good point. Raven turned her computer monitor around so they both could see, as she pulled up Arkadia Central Park’s website. “See” Raven pointed out, “the boathouse is still renting paddle boards and you can make reservations online.” Clarke agreed to the idea and they went ahead and reserved a time slot. Clarke noticed the “Calendar of Events” section and asked Raven to click on that. Raven read the schedule for Saturday out loud, “Sunrise guided meditation. Fun time 5k. Toddler time. Goat yoga. RC boat race. Anything tickle your fancy?” They met each other’s gaze and simultaneously raised their eyebrows. “Goat yoga?” Clarke questioned. “Goat yoga!” Raven responded enthusiastically. The friends read over the description and decided the appeal of playing with baby goats was too much to pass up, and there was a time available before their paddle board rental reservation, so Clarke went ahead and signed her and Lexa up. “Shit Rae, am I making a mistake? We’re going to be sweating all day. I wanted to take her to dinner too. How are we going to work that?” Clarke worried aloud. Raven always seemed to have an answer ready “Girl, I’ve got you. The boathouse at the park has changing rooms with showers available. Bring a change of clothes, because I’ve got pull at Priamfaya. It’s that trendy new restaurant where they cook everything on a giant fire pit in view of everyone, and it’s within walking distance of the park.” Clarke was absolutely ecstatic and felt as though she could literally bounce around. Raven shot her friend a warm, genuine smile and said “I’m proud of you for putting yourself out there and allowing your heart to open up again. It’s good to see you happy.” With that she hugged her friend tightly, said her goodbyes, and made her way toward the office door to leave for work. As she was exiting, she heard Raven shout behind her “I’m gonna need all the deets, Blondie!”

The next morning, Clarke texted Lexa to tell her about the plans she made. She had been thinking about it during her night shift and realized maybe she had gone overboard. It was Lexa who originally set up the date for Saturday, but at the coffee shop Clarke had mentioned during their conversation that she would think of something for them to do. However, she still wanted things to be somewhat of a surprise, so she nervously sent her a message:

 **Hey there! I’m really excited for our date on Saturday. I have a few ideas, and unless there’s something you’ve planned specifically, I’m asking for you to trust me.** 😁

Clarke had ended up going to bed before Lexa responded, so when she woke up to a poppy love song declaring “everything means nothing if I can’t have you,” she immediately looked to her phone with Lexa on her mind. Sure enough, there was a text message waiting for her:

**I trust you.**

That was it; just three words, but damn did they speak to Clarke. She took a few deep breaths, and smiled down at her phone, before typing out her response:

**Meet me near the west entrance of Arkadia Central Park tomorrow at 3:30. Wear something comfortable, that you can easily move in, and wouldn’t mind getting dirty. We have reservations for dinner after, so bring a change of clothes. There’s a place to shower/get ready at the park.**

The little text bubbles appeared almost instantly and Clarke waited anxiously for the arrival of Lexa’s message:

**Good “morning.” I have to say I’m intrigued now. Can’t wait for tomorrow. How should I dress for dinner?**

Clarke looked at the Praimfaya website to see if they had a specific dress code, which they did not, so she just text back the first thing that entered her mind:

**Dressy Casual**

She tried to choose something that would cover the most bases. Clarke was planning on wearing a pink sleeveless dress. Not that she had stared at her wardrobe or anything, trying to decide what she would wear for an uncomfortably excessive amount of time. She heard her text alert chime, and looked down at Lexa’s name:

**That sounds like an oxymoron, but I’ll figure it out! See you tomorrow.**

Clarke found herself waking up before her alarm on Saturday afternoon, which was quite the rarity. She most definitely valued her sleep, but excitement had gotten the better of her. She was quick to get out of bed and dress in her grey to black ombré leggings and matching sports bra. She threw her hair up in a messy bun, headed to the kitchen for a quick bite, and then finished getting ready as soon as possible. She grabbed the bag that she had packed yesterday before work, that contained everything she’d need to get ready for dinner later, then she was out the door making her way to the park. At exactly 3:30 Lexa walked into the park entrance wearing grey cropped joggers and white tank top with her black sports bra peeking through. To top it all off, she wore a black snap back with the QRS complex of a heartbeat embroidered in white on the front. Lexa was scanning the park, trying to pick Clarke out of the moderately sized crowd that had formed. Clarke pulled out her phone and texted:

**Look up!**

She saw Lexa pull out her phone, and then commenced waving her arm from side to side slowly. Lexa complied with the text and had Clarke in her sights immediately. The women walked towards each other, and Clarke found herself worrying for a brief moment about how she should greet Lexa. Worry fell to the wayside when Lexa wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. As if it were already second nature, Clarke leaned into Lexa’s cheek and returned the kiss in time. They smiled at each other with as much sheer happiness as awkwardness, until Clarke finally managed the words “It’s great to see you! Are you ready for part one of what I hope will be an amazing day together?!” Lexa nodded while wondering out loud, “How many parts are there? You go all out don’t you?” It was Clarke’s turn to nod then, as she took Lexa by the arm and led her to a field not far away. The field had been enclosed with temporary fencing, and inside it there were a bunch of yoga mats spread out every few feet. Lexa turned towards Clarke and asked quite simply “Yoga?” Clarke responded with “Technically, yes.” Clarke showed the instructor her email confirmation and they were assigned mats one right in front of the other. As more people filed in, the energy was very positive and the participants seemed excited. The instructor began by leading them in some basic poses to stretch their core, when the goat handler released about 20 or so baby goats into the fenced area. There were ooh’s and ahh’s coming from every direction, and the focus shifted from yoga to the little goats. Lexa, who was still on her hands and knees, was suddenly used as a springboard for one of the babies. Clarke giggled and proceeded to pet it. The instructor, who seemed entirely unfazed by the cuteness overload, continued with her routine. The ladies participated when they were not distracted, which for Clarke was clearly not a possibility, because there was either a baby goat or Lexa’s ass in front of her at all times. After half an hour of playtime with the goats, and a futile yoga session, part one of their date had come to a close. 

The pair dusted themselves off, as Clarke led them away from the yoga corral. They exchanged some insanely sweet glances, but otherwise walked quietly down the pathway. Clarke smiled up at Lexa, tongue between her teeth, then slid her hand down Lexa’s forearm and into her hand. Lexa responded in kind, interlacing their fingers, and adding pressure to Clarke’s hand. Clarke nudged Lexa with her hip as they walked and asked “So what did you think?” Lexa let out a soft chuckle and responded “Other than smelling like a barnyard, I can’t think of cuter way to spend part one of our date.” It was Lexa’s turn to nudge Clarke with her hip while she asked “So when do I get to know what part two is?” The pair rounded a curve in the pathway, which opened up to a view of the lake. Clarke leaned into Lexa as they walked, then lifted her other arm to point in the lake’s direction. “That’s part two!” she gleefully announced. When they reached the boathouse, they stored their bags in a locker, and went up to the rental counter. The rental attendant, who couldn’t have been more than 16 years old, struggled to carry two paddle boards to the dock. Lexa ran over to help him, taking one and lifting it over her head easily. As she held the board in place midair, Clarke noticed the defined muscles in her shoulders and arms. Her breath hitched and she suddenly needed more air. Clarke and Lexa launched off the dock and glided smoothly over the water. It was obvious they both had experience, as they easily kept up with one another. They paddled around the entirety of the park’s lake while making conversation. Occasionally they’d playfully race each other to a certain point, and found they were equally competitive. Clarke was enjoying herself, especially her view. She could hardly take her eyes off Lexa as the sun framed her tan features, which culminated in a swirl of butterflies in her stomach. 

Clarke felt cool water droplets hit her back and legs, and looked over her shoulder to see Lexa looking at her with a devilish grin. “Oh so that’s how it’s going to be, Ms. Woods?!” she proclaimed as she feigned annoyance. Clarke dug her paddle into the water and turned sharply, yet skillfully, as she circled behind Lexa. She batted the lake’s surface with her paddle and shot water all over Lexa. So began the back and forth of splashing and screaming, all in good fun of course. Caught up in the lighthearted commotion, Lexa over corrected her course and her board ran into Clarke’s. Clarke attempted to maintain her balance but ended up in the lake. The look on Lexa’s face clearly indicated how mortified she felt. The brunette tried to save the moment with humor, as she shouted “Hold on Clarke! I’ll save you!” and jumped into the water after her. The women swam up to one another and began to tread water with ease. The water was cold but not unbearable, yet as Lexa’s hand grazed her arm under water she got chills. As they treaded water closely, completely saturated, Lexa said “Sorry I knocked you in the water.” Clarke smiled and replied “Don’t worry about it, I kind of figured I’d get wet at some point today.” Lexa bit her lip and let out a nervous chuckle. Clarke internally cursed herself as she realized her comment could have come off more suggestive than she originally intended, so she tried to explain her way out of the hole of embarrassment she had created by quickly saying “You know, because of the lake, there was always a chance of getting wet.” Lexa nodded slowly and inched closer to Clarke in the water. In a soft, low voice Lexa said “I get it” and reached her hand up to move wet strands of hair out of Clarke’s eyes. They held each other’s gaze for a moment and then Lexa placed a long wet kiss, dripping with lake water, on Clarke’s cheek. Clarke no longer felt the cold water, but only the rush of warmth that overcame her from the inside out. She then caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye; their boards were floating off. She gestured her head in their direction, and Lexa looked over her shoulder. They each swam to their respective paddle board, mounted it, and headed inland. 

Once back at the boathouse, the ladies splashed and squished their way to the lockers to retrieve their belongings. They headed toward the shower and changing area, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind them. They chose shower stalls across from one another, and as Clarke unpacked her toiletries, she saw the entirety of Lexa’s soaked outfit fling over the top of the stall to hang on the curtain rod. Although she completely understood how showers work, there was something about knowing Lexa was naked so close to her that sent her mind reeling. Clarke chose to take a colder than normal shower. When she emerged in her pink sleeveless dress, she saw Lexa was already dressed and drying her hair. She was facing away, but Clarke could see her reflection in the large mirror in front of them both. Lexa was wearing cuffed skinny jeans, a white v-neck shirt, and a fitted black blazer. As Clarke walked closer, admiring Lexa’s ability to look good in anything, the reflection of green eyes met her own. Lexa’s reflection smiled coyly at her, and Clarke’s cheeks instantly matched her dress. “You clean up nice” Lexa said sweetly. That did nothing for the heat in Clarke’s cheeks, but she managed to squeak out “Likewise” in response. They both put the finishing touches on their faces, as neither wore much make up, and then gathered their belongings to place them back in the lockers. Clarke asked if Lexa would be ok with walking to dinner, as it was only about a five minute walk and parking was limited at the restaurant. Lexa agreed without hesitation, took Clarke’s hand in her own, and said “Lead the way, beautiful.” Clarke’s heart pounded against her chest, but she managed to put one foot in front of the other, leading them in the direction of the restaurant. 

The blonde and brunette arrived at Praimfaya several minutes early for their reservation. The host kindly asked them to wait a few more minutes for their table to be prepared and offered them a complimentary glass of wine. Lexa looked around, taking everything in, before she said “I’ve heard this place was hard to get into.” Clarke nodded and responded “I know people that know people.” She laughed and explained how Raven had made the reservation at the restaurant for her. After a brief wait, the host returned and showed them to their table. The restaurant was set up in a large circle, with the elaborate cooking area located in the middle under a retractable roof. As they walked close by, they could feel the heat radiating off the flames of the grill area that would shoot up well over their heads. It was an impressive site and Clarke mentally noted she would need to thank Raven later for getting them in. The host led them up a small flight of stairs that opened to a balcony with a single table. The elevated position gave them excellent views down into the cooking area as well as a panorama of the park off of the balcony. The table was set with candles, a charcuterie board, and a bottle of wine chilling in ice. There were several floor length candle holders outlining the balcony, giving off a warm glow. The host handed them their menus as they took their seats, and then passed Clarke a hand written note. Clarke opened it up and read:

**Blondie,  
Hope you and the hot nurse enjoy your dinner! It’s on me. Don’t argue, they won’t hear it. Raven**

Clarke shook her head, realizing she owed Raven more than a thank you, and passed the note to a curious looking Lexa. Lexa smiled as she read, then announced “Oh I like her a lot!” As they perused the menu, Clarke noticed Lexa had been nursing her glass of wine. She, on the other hand, was already on her second. She gestured toward the glass and asked “Would you like something other than wine?” Lexa smiled at Clarke’s perceptiveness, and responded “Please. I don’t much care for wine, I’m more of a beer person.” Clarke called over their apparently private waiter, and asked for some beer to be brought up. They ordered their meals when he returned, and then carried on with a mix of light conversation and short pauses filled with titillating glances. This continued throughout dinner, and after all was said and done, the ladies had full bellies and a good buzz. The sun had set and dinner was winding down, when Lexa announced she should probably Uber home. She was not sober enough to drive, despite being far from drunk. Clarke found herself in a similar position, but mentioned “I think I’m going to just walk, I only live a few minutes away.” Clarke could see the wheels turning behind Lexa’s green eyes. Lexa cleared her throat, and suggested “I could walk with you. You know, make sure you get home safe, and then Uber from there.” Clarke smirked and nodded her agreement. They left a sizable tip for the waiter on the table and made their way out of the restaurant.

Clarke offered Lexa her hand as she led the way down the sidewalk. Lexa happily obliged and their steps fell into sync. Their walk was quiet but not rushed. Clarke felt the occasional sensation of Lexa’s thumb stroking the back of her hand, and for some reason she felt that one hand holding Lexa was not enough. Clarke reached her free arm across her body to place her other hand on Lexa’s upper arm, pulling them that much closer. As they neared Clarke’s building, Clarke took a big breath in and sighed “This is me.” They both stood in front of the main entrance, looked up at the building, and back into each other’s eyes. Lexa squeezed Clarke’s hand in her own and said “It’s been an amazing day.” Clarke opened her mouth with every intention of saying goodnight, but the words didn’t come. Lexa smiled, took Clarke’s cheek in her free hand, and kissed her perfectly pink lips. Clarke’s stomach instantly filled with butterflies and her pulse quickened. As soon as there was space enough between their lips to speak, Clarke asked “Do you want to come up?” Lexa pulled back a few inches and looked over Clarke’s face, her eyes noticeably darting back and fort between her lips and her eyes. Clarke bit her lip and nodded slowly, as if to say that it was okay. Lexa began to nod as well and spoke “I’d be a complete liar if I said I didn’t want to.” Clarke turned toward the entrance and pulled Lexa inside. On the elevator ride up to Clarke’s floor, the women leaned against the back wall and into each other. Still holding hands, yet searching for further closeness. 

When they reached her door, Clarke released Lexa’s hand to grab her key and let them inside. Clarke immediately kicked her shoes off, went to the kitchen to grab a couple bottles of water, and told Lexa to make herself at home. She watched as Lexa took her shoes off and scooted them next to Clarke’s in the entryway. She casually walked around the living area with her hands in her pockets, before taking a seat on the couch. Clarke handed her a water bottle and fell back on the couch next to her with a flop. Lexa laughed and angled towards Clarke, before taking a drink. Clarke stared at the other woman’s moistened red lips, and felt a stirring inside. She curled one leg up on the couch and turned to face Lexa. There was an intense moment when green eyes met blue and Clarke gave in to the feelings she’d been pushing down all day long. She closed the space between them, and pressed her lips to Lexa’s. One hand found Lexa’s counterpart resting on her knee and she squeezed it softly, as her other hand gently cupped Lexa’s cheek pulling her into another kiss. Lexa leaned in to each progressive kiss, matching Clarke’s pace and intensity. Clarke felt Lexa’s free hand on her hip, and when the pressure there intensified, she took that as an invitation to take things further. Mid kiss, Clarke opened her mouth to take a breath, and found herself accepting Lexa’s tongue. Her head clouded with lust, and she made a move to swing her leg over Lexa’s lap to straddle her. Clarke used both hands to caress Lexa’s face and guide her mouth into her own. When Lexa gently bit down on her bottom lip a moan escaped her body, which conveyed to Lexa in no uncertain terms how she felt. Clarke shivered when she felt Lexa’s hands grasp both of her hips, and then felt a fire surge inside her when Lexa’s hands found their way under the back of her dress. The two carried on with passionate kisses laced with eager tongues, and every so often a gasp or moan would escalate the intensity. Lexa’s hands worked their way over Clarke’s back, alternating between gently teasing the bra line above and the panty line below. Clarke intuitively began to rock her hips back and forth, ever so slightly. Her mind didn’t even register doing it until several minutes later. When the two separated long enough to take simultaneous deep breaths, Clarke looked down to see Lexa’s eyes the darkest green she’d ever seen. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen. Clarke wanted her so badly. Clarke bit her lip, and held Lexa’s gaze. She never said the words out loud, but Lexa answered her with a slight nod and a whispered “yes.” 

It was as if lighter fluid doused a flame; their heat and fervor intensified. The butterflies that had lived in Clarke’s stomach all day were replaced by a pounding throb in her core. Lexa shifted her position, and lifted her leg up onto the couch, putting pressure between Clarke’s thighs. Clarke gasped realizing how sensitive she had become, and then began to grind herself against Lexa’s toned thigh. Clarke barely noticed how Lexa’s breathing coincided with each thrust from her hips, but once she did she smiled as she quickened her pace. Lexa’s hand urged her dress up over her head, which Clarke hurried along. Clarke arched her back, giving Lexa a full view of her black lace bra and panty set, before bringing her hips down against Lexa’s thigh again. Lexa’s mouth hung open with a mix of awe and lust. Clarke kissed her deeply while continuing to grind against her until she felt soft fingers tease at the waistline of her panties. She lifted her hips up, and those fingers found their way inside her panties. Clarke’s breath hitched as Lexa’s fingers separated her folds, grazed her throbbing clit, and found purchase inside her. Clarke moaned as her hips and Lexa’s fingers moved in time. She closed her eyes when her long, slender fingers curled inside her hitting just the right spot. She felt the building of her climax deep in her center, and the pitch of her moans got higher and higher the closer she came. When Lexa’s thumb began to make soft circles over her pulsing clit, while continuing to thrust inside of her, her mind went black. The orgasm hit her hard, and she leaned over to kiss Lexa and fill her mouth with the stifled moans of her pleasure. 

Clarke lifted herself from Lexa’s lap, and looked down to see her arousal spread across the thigh of her pants. She smiled proudly, then reached her hand out for Lexa’s. Lexa offered her the dry hand, and Clarke pulled her to standing, leading her into the bedroom. While kissing, Clarke backed Lexa up until she bumped into the bed and sat on it’s edge. Clarke removed her bra and discarded her moistened panties, all while she maintained eye contact with the brunette. She saw Lexa’s lips mouth the words “oh my god” and then she sought to devour them. She kissed Lexa fervently, searching her mouth with her tongue. She tugged on Lexa’s shirt, which was quickly removed and then reached her hands behind her back to unclasp her bra. Lexa’s breasts hung perky and round, with rosebud nipples firm and waiting for Clarke’s lips. Clarke’s kissed down her neck, across her collarbone, and then delivered a sweet peck to her right nipple. Lexa let out a soft gasp, which inspired Clarke’s tongue to run circles around her nipple. Clarke’s hands each caressed one breast. She began to suck Lexa’s nipple and tweak the other with her fingers. Having tasted her mouth and her breasts, Clarke suddenly felt the urge to taste more of Lexa. She ran her hands down Lexa’s tanned torso and then unbuttoned her jeans. She pushed Lexa down to a reclining position and removed her jeans and panties in one fluid motion. She could see her arousal glistening in her center, and Clarke began to kiss her body. First around her belly button, then down the curves of her hips, along her inner thigh, until she finally parted Lexa’s folds with her tongue. Lexa griped the blanket on Clarke’s bed and let out a sultry moan. Clarke eagerly lapped up her arousal, and worked her tongue over her sensitive spot. She locked her lips around Lexa’s clit and began to alternate sucking and swirling her tongue. When Lexa’s hips rose up to meet her mouth, she increased the intensity. Clarke felt Lexa run her hand through her hair and she flicked her eyes upwards to see Lexa staring down at her; her face showing signs of her impending climax. Clarke reached a hand up and placed it on Lexa’s stomach. The muscles beneath her hand were tensing rhythmically. With another swipe and a suck, Lexa rolled into her orgasm with moans so passionate Clarke thought her neighbors would be turned on. Clarke laid next to Lexa and held her sweetly as she came down from her high of unadulterated pleasure. The rest of the night was a haze of sweat, mussed hair, and several more orgasms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Between the holidays and work I got overwhelmed, but I hope to get back on track. Enjoy!

Lexa awoke to a gentle sway in the bed, and pulled the blanket up to more fully cover her still naked body. She recognized the distinct smell of freshly brewed coffee, which brought a smile to her face. Clarke snuggled up behind her, and Lexa let a heavy breath escape her lips as Clarke’s fingers gently traced up her side and then down her collarbone. A warm hand cupped her cheek, encouraging her to turn towards the blonde, where she found sparkling blue eyes and a playful smile waiting for her. Clarke leaned in and whispered “good morning” on her lips as she simultaneously kissed them softly. Lexa returned the kiss and internally appreciated the feeling of waking up next to someone. Someone who wanted her. 

After several minutes of sweet kisses, Clarke announced she’d made them coffee. Lexa sat up in bed, allowing the linens to fall, and accepted a novelty mug full of hot coffee made exactly how she liked it. Clarke scooted in behind her; close enough that Lexa could feel the fabric of Clarke’s silky black robe graze across her bare back, intermingled with soft flesh where the untied robe left part of her stomach and breasts exposed. They sipped their coffee quietly; both unable to see the other’s smile that their kiss bruised lips had formed. Lexa then felt smooth, warm lips make contact with the place where her neck and shoulder met, which sent a chill throughout her body. As if on cue, an arm wrapped around her waist and held her close. Lexa leaned back into Clarke and angled her head to look back at her. “I like this” Lexa said softly, and was pleased to hear Clarke reply “I like...you.” 

Their lips pressed together again, this time more earnestly, and Lexa parted hers to allow Clarke’s tongue to dance with her own. Lexa fumbled with her mug, switching to the opposite hand, so that she could reach up and palm Clarke’s cheek. Clarke intuitively reached for the coffee, placing both mugs on the side table and sat back down in front of Lexa. The brief moment of separation was too much for Lexa, and she rose to her knees taking Clarke’s face in her hands. She closed the space between them, while she simultaneously urged Clarke onto her back. Clarke’s robe failed to shield anything from view, and Lexa paused long enough to take her all in. 

The sweet taste of Clarke’s lips only escalated her need to taste her everywhere, so Lexa trailed kisses down her neck and chest, until her tongue made circles around hardened nipples. Tiny moans slipped through Clarke’s smile, which made the fire in Lexa’s belly burn hotter. Or maybe it was Clarke’s hands gathered in her hair? Or maybe it was the smell of their mutual growing arousal? Lexa couldn’t discern which was turning her on the most, but that honestly didn’t matter. She was keenly focused on making the blonde melt beneath her, so she began to tease Clarke’s inner thigh with her index finger. Lexa watched as she lolled her head back and bit her bottom lip anytime her finger got close to her center. She built Clarke up with her teasing, then replaced her finger with her tongue, as she continued to trail up and down her inner thigh. When the moans turned to quiet whimpers, Lexa slipped her tongue into the glistening pool between Clarke’s thighs. Clarke’s needy hips sought more friction, so Lexa obliged and slowly pushed two fingers inside of her. With her tongue and digits working tirelessly in unison, Lexa made quick work of Clarke’s orgasm...and the second that followed just a minute later. 

Lexa laid her head on Clarke’s stomach as she waited for the other woman’s breathing to even out and her muscles to stop quivering. She gently caressed the soft skin beneath her, as she ran her hand over the blonde’s torso. Lexa heard Clarke take a contented deep breath. She placed a kiss just below her navel, and looked up into sultry blue eyes. Clarke cupped Lexa’s cheek, and swiped her thumb across her lips. Lexa’s stomach did flips as she watched Clark run the same thumb over her own lips and then lick them. Clarke used her index finger to make the “come here” motion, and as Lexa moved up to comply, Clarke breathily stated “my turn” in her ear. Lexa felt Clarke’s hands glide over her body as they kissed, teasing her sensitive curves and hard nipples. Still positioned on top of Clarke, she then found the blonde’s hands pushing her upright and onto her knees. Clarke’s eager hands then pulled at her hips, and Lexa found herself hovering above Clarke’s mouth. Lexa struggled to stay upright as Clarke lapped and sucked between her folds. As her pleasure built, Lexa found herself moving her hips in time with the swipes of Clarke’s hot tongue. When she climaxed, Clarke’s lips locked around her clit and sucked until Lexa could no longer keep herself upright. Lexa fell forward onto her forearms shaking rhythmically with Clarke’s blonde locks tickling her stomach and breasts beneath her. Lexa dismounted Clarke’s face and laid next to her; both of them trying to catch their breath. The two turned their heads toward each other and when their eyes met, they giggled endearingly. Lexa turned on her side to face Clarke and through her smile said, “you sure know how to wake a girl up!” More giggling ensued. 

After laying tangled in each other for a long while, the pair reluctantly made their way to the shower. Other than shamelessly checking each other out, their bathing experience was all business. However, Lexa had developed a new habit of her jaw dropping open anytime she took in the entirety of Clarke’s gorgeous body. One such instance when they were toweling off, Clarke took her index finger and physically lifted her chin up coyly, causing Lexa‘s cheeks to flush red. Lexa retraced her footsteps from the night before, gathering the clothes that were discarded in haste. She held up her jeans, then turned them around so Clarke could see what remained of her arousal from the night before. “I don’t think I can wear these out in public” she jokingly announced as she saw Clarke’s face blush slightly. She watched the blonde disappear into her closet, and emerge with a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black yoga pants that she could wear. As she pulled the clothes on, she casually announced, “So I guess I’m gonna order an Uber to take me back to the park.” Clarke poked her head out from the closet where she was dressing, and said “Well if you don’t mind walking, I’ve gotta go back to get my stuff and my car too, so we can go together. If you’re down for it?” Lexa internally acknowledged she’d do anything to spend a few more minutes with Clarke, so she smiled and nodded in agreement. 

A few minutes later, the pair exited Clarke’s building and started walking in the direction of the park. As they waited for the crossing signal to change to “walk,” Lexa brushed the back of her hand across Clarke’s. Clarke seemed to mimic the motion, so Lexa interlaced their fingers and they set off across the street hand in hand. Lexa could not deny herself the smile that crossed her face, so she walked down the street with Clarke, wearing it like a badge of honor. The tight pocket of the borrowed yoga pants began to vibrate against Lexa’s thigh; her phone was ringing. She let it go to voicemail as to not distract from their time together. When it started buzzing again, she wedged her hand inside the pocket to pry her phone out and see who was calling. Anya’s name flashed across the screen, and she held it up so Clarke could see. “She’s gonna keep calling until I answer” Lexa proclaimed with a slight air of embarrassment. Clarke replied “Just answer it. I’m actually surprised Raven hasn’t started blowing my phone up. She probably just wants to make sure I didn’t kidnap you or something!” Lexa answered the call, and before she could even greet her friend, Anya half shouted “You didn’t call me last night! How was the date?” Lexa chuckled and said “Hi An, the date was amazing. Actually...”. Anya cut her off, “Nice. What did y’all do? Hopefully each other, god knows you needed to get laid!” A lump formed in Lexa’s throat as she turned towards Clarke, searching her face for signs she’d overheard what Anya had said. Clarke was desperately trying to hide a smile and her cheeks had a bit of pink to them. She had definitely heard. “Hey Anya, can I PLEASE call you back in a little while. I’m actually kinda busy right now” Lexa pleaded. Her friend seemed to understand and said “She’s with you, isn’t she? You totally got some, didn’t you?!” Lexa was thoroughly embarrassed at that point and simply said “Goodbye Anya” and hung up the phone. Clarke nudged Lexa with her hip and said “She’s not wrong” and they both started laughing. 

When they arrived to the park, they made their way to the lockers to retrieve their belongings from the day before and then walked to where their cars were parked. Clarke was leaning on the driver’s side door of Lexa’s black SUV, essentially preventing her from getting in. She didn’t mind the stall tactic at all, and instead chose to embrace it, as she playfully pinned Clarke against the car and delivered kisses along her jawline. After one such kiss, she whispered in Clarke’s ear “This has been the absolute best date. I can’t wait to see what happens on our next one.” Clarke responded by placing her hands on Lexa’s hips, and pulling them closer together. Lexa rested her forehead on Clarke’s and the pair exchanged a few more sweet kisses, before Lexa pulled away. “I’m afraid if I don’t get in my car and go, I won’t be able to stop myself, and everyone in this park will get a show” Lexa husked quietly. Clarke smiled coyly and replied “I don’t think anyone, myself included, would object.” Lexa bit her bottom lip in self restraint and groaned with sexual frustration, as she slowly pulled Clarke away from the car by her hands. She let her fingers linger in the other woman’s grip, and ran her thumbs over the back of Clark’s hands. Even in that moment Lexa couldn’t shut the nurse in her brain off, as her thumb gently grazed over the veins in Clarke’s hand. Lexa brought her hands up and kissed the backs of them and proclaimed “I’ll see you and these nice veins later.” Clarke laughed as she slowly sauntered towards her own car and yelled back towards Lexa “I guess I’ve got something The Vein Commander likes. See you later, _Commander_!” Clarke shot her a wink before she turned to enter her vehicle. 

Lexa sat in her car for a moment, feeling content and a little proud of herself, while she watched Clarke drive off. As she turned on her vehicle to follow suit, she heard the text alert on her phone go off. Then again. Followed by another a minute later. Thinking it was the same person texting repeatedly, she felt like she needed to find out what was going on, so she dug the phone out of the tight pant’s pocket. Instead she had received three texts from different people all in the span of a few minutes. 

**Anya: CALL ME ASAP!!! I. NEED. DETAILS.**

**Costia: Hey, I have a thing I’d really like to do this afternoon, could I possibly drop Madi off early?**

**Clarke: I had an amazing time with you! Drive safe. Talk to you later!**

She smiled and immediately responded to Clarke’s text:

**Same! You drive safe as well!**

She then had the voice assistant on her phone confirm with Costia and then dial Anya. The line only rang once before her best friend picked up. “Spill.” Anya said simply; direct as always. “We had a _really_ nice time together, that’s all An” Lexa replied. It was the truth. Lexa continued to drive home while Anya kept digging for details. Lexa described the goat yoga and paddle board experiences, and even how awesome she thought the restaurant was. “Sooooo.....” Anya said in a sing-song manner. “So, what?” Lexa attempted to deflect. “So, were y’all together this morning, or no?” Lexa couldn’t hide the smile in her voice, “Yes, she was with me when you called earlier.” Anya whooped and hollered from her side of the phone, before exclaiming “Please, kiss and tell!” Lexa feigned annoyance, but Anya knew her too well. “Don’t be a _nomonjoka_!” Anya roasted her playfully, swearing at her in their ancestral language. Lexa broke into full laughter and replied, “Actually Clarke would have to be the mother fucker in this instance, since she doesn’t have any kids and I do!” Both women cracked up and Anya proclaimed her clairvoyance, making sure to remind her that she help set the wheels of their date in motion. As Lexa pulled into her driveway, she wrapped up the conversation with Anya. Goodbyes were exchanged, but then Anya interjected in a more serious tone, “I’m happy for you Lexa, and proud of you for dipping your toe back in the water.” “Thanks, but you make it seem like it’s been forever or something” Lexa replied. “Well, when’s the last time you’ve gone out with someone more than once?” her friend asked rhetorically. Lexa thought of the answer but didn’t say it aloud; she hadn’t been on more than one date with a woman since Costia. Instead of acknowledging her friend’s question, she simply said “Talk to you later, Anya” and hung up the phone. 

As soon as Lexa opened the door, George rushed her legs in a perceived effort to knock her off her feet, probably out of spite for her making him miss a meal the night before. “George, ok I get it, I’m sorry. Let’s eat!” The brunette made her way to the kitchen and filled the cat’s bowl, who purred his appreciation. Her own belly rumbled, and she realized the only thing she’d eaten that morning was...well...she needed actual food. She grabbed a yogurt parfait from the fridge, a banana from the basket on the counter, and flopped down on her couch in the living room to eat. She’d managed a single bite of the yogurt and to peel the banana when the doorbell rang. She answered the door, banana in hand, and Madi rushed past her shouting “Hi Mommy!” Lexa stood in the doorway looking at Costia, and vice versa. The dirty-blonde, dressed in jeans and an oversized sweater, seemed to eye her up and down. “Yoga pants?” Costia half asked, half stated her observation. “Umm, yeah. I did yoga in the park” Lexa replied, leaving out when exactly she did the yoga and that those weren’t her pants. Costia nodded, cautiously accepting the answer, and proceeded to thank Lexa for letting her drop Madi off early. Her eyes squinted again, focusing in on Lexa’s neck, and her face showed signs of growing annoyance. “Nice hickey” Costia deadpanned, “I hope our daughter isn’t being exposed to someone without my knowledge.” Lexa reflexively touched the spot where her neck and shoulder met, and the memory of Clarke kissing her from behind flashed into her mind. She looked back at her ex, made eye contact, and said “I remember what we discussed regarding dating Cos, you don’t need to worry about our daughter.” Costia huffed audibly and turned to walk away. Lexa shut the door, feeling a mix of embarrassed and annoyed at the interaction with her ex-wife. 

Lexa walked back into the living room with the intention of finishing her food, only to find Madi happily enjoying her yogurt parfait. “Thanks for the snack Mommy!” the little girl excitedly announced. Lexa smiled, and went to sit next to the little girl. Lexa played with Madi’s soft curls, while she finished her banana and Madi finished her yogurt. She asked her daughter about her weekend at her other mother’s house, and what they should do for the rest of the day. The pair of Woods women decided they would play in the backyard and make cookies later. They went outside and jumped on the trampoline, making a competition out of how many flips they could do in a row before getting too dizzy. Madi utilized the air she got on the trampoline to show off her kicks and punches that she’d learned at her karate lessons, excitedly proclaiming she was a ninja. Lexa proceeded to teach her a few introductory level jujitsu moves, that Madi picked up on quickly. Afterwards, they washed up and headed to the kitchen. Lexa let Madi be in charge of the cookies, while she prepped dinner. The little girl was fiercely independent and Lexa acted as support when needed and handled the hot tray when it came out of the oven, but otherwise let her daughter take control. Lexa paused to reflect on the person Madi was becoming and it made her proud. However, her next thought was that she wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her relationship with her daughter, and realized though Costia’s worry was misguided, she had a point. Lexa decided to hold off for a while before introducing Madi and Clarke. After dinner, baths, and pajamas, Lexa tucked Madi into bed. “Do you want a story before bed, love?” Lexa asked. The little girl thought on it and her face lit up when she had made her decision, “I want to read _MY_ story Mommy!” Lexa immediately knew what she meant; it was a book that Costia and her had commissioned when Madi was younger that explained how she came to be. It was a cute story called “Princess Madi and the 2 Queens” that starred their family. Madi was old enough now to read it herself, so Lexa cuddled up next to the 8 year old and listened to the story. Afterwards, she kissed her forehead and said goodnight, turning the light off as she exited the room. 

Lexa climbed into her own bed a little while later, and pulled the blanket over her. She fluffed her pillow and tried to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. However, she seemed to just toss and turn every few minutes, as sleep evaded her. Lexa faced the other side of her king sized bed, and stared at the empty pillow across from her. She was unsure if it was because of their interaction earlier, or the story she’d just shared with Madi, but Costia was on her mind. Memories of her laying in that very spot beside her flooded her thoughts. One memory seemed to trigger another, and she recounted how she had first met Costia at a college party. The two had been casual at first but things intensified after graduation. Her mind then flashed to their wedding and how happy they were in that moment. Next she recounted how they longed to start a family, and scenes of Madi’s birth filled her thoughts. There were wholesome memories of holidays and family vacations. Then came the memory of Costia’s depression after her mother had died unexpectedly. Costia slipped into a darkness that blanketed their entire family. They had started to argue over every little thing, and Costia did her best to push any form of comfort away. She was purposefully hurtful toward Lexa, calling her terrible names and she became incredibly petty. Lexa had suggested therapy in an attempt to mend what was crumbling around them, but Costia only went once after calling the whole experience “stupid and useless.” For 2 years their marriage and Costia’s mental health suffered. Then Lexa remembered the moment she fell out of love. Lexa had experienced a pediatric death at work, and came home feeling a little broken. The child had been about the same age as Madi, and it just hit her so differently now that she was a mother herself. She had confided in Costia, who looked at her with angry and jealous eyes, upset that she would fall apart over a stranger and didn’t fall apart _with_ her when her mother had passed. Lexa had tried to explain that she felt sad about her mom too, but was trying to stay strong for Costia. She further explained how she felt like Costia had built a wall between them. Costia had bitterly replied “Good, stay on your side then!” And Lexa was done. Not that she didn’t still care for her, there was too much history for that, but she couldn’t break herself anymore for this broken woman. She had filed for divorce and they both seemed relieved. It was the first amicable thing they’d done in a while. Finally, Lexa’s mind stilled and she fell asleep.

Monday morning came way too early for Lexa and Madi alike; the Woods women begrudgingly got dressed and ready for their day. Lexa dropped Madi off at Indra’s, who would take her to school as always. Indra was a longtime family friend and somewhat of a surrogate mother/mentor to Lexa. She was also the director of the private school where Madi attended. It eased Lexa’s mind to know that when she wasn’t able to be with Madi, she had someone close to watch over her. Lexa also appreciated that the teachings and principles that Indra was able to impart on Lexa, were the fundamentals of Madi’s school. The school emphasized growing the whole person, utilized nature as a classroom whenever possible, and emphasized physical and mental preparedness just as much as academic. After dropping Madi off, she headed into work. Right as she was about to clock in at 6:30 AM, she got a text message from Clarke. She recalled that Clarke was not scheduled to work that day, so she wondered why she’d be up at this time. She read the text:

 **I set my alarm to wake up just so I could tell you good morning and that I hope you have a good day.** 😊

Lexa beamed a wide smile, and replied:

 **Thanks for the warm fuzzies! I can’t wait to see you again.** 😉

That little something special, knowing she was in Clarke’s thoughts, carried her through the day. 

When Thursday morning rolled around, Lexa found herself waking up extra early. She didn’t have Madi that morning, as she always spent Wednesday nights at Costia’s, so she was able to get ready in record time. She went through the drive through at The Coalition Coffee Shop, and headed into work. She made a beeline to the Operation Administrator’s office and stopped at the doorway. She saw a clearly tired Clarke behind the desk, engrossed in a pile of paperwork. Lexa knocked on the door frame, and watched as Clarke’s face lit up as she entered the small office. “I set my alarm to wake up early just so I could come tell you good morning!” Lexa announced, an obvious throwback to Clarke’s text earlier in the week. “I also brought you coffee” she added with a cheeseball grin on her face. Clarke stood up and walked around her desk and straight to the door. As soon as it was shut, she pressed Lexa up against it and kissed her deeply. When their lips parted Clarke said “You have no idea how grateful I am to see you!” Lexa moved a lock of blonde hair out of Clarke’s face, and kissed her again. Several minutes later, with coffee still in a carrier in her hand, Lexa reluctantly pulled away and confessed she needed to go clock in for work. Clarke took her coffee, licked her lips and smirked, while she asked “Do you wanna come over to my place for a bit, when you get off work?” Lexa nodded enthusiastically and placed another peck on Clarke’s cheek, before opening the office door. As she walked out, Lexa called back “I get off at 3!”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! I’ll be trying to update weekly!


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